Snow Rain
by SilverSolitude
Summary: Things gets wacky 2 years after the JS incident.Hayate is torn between dreams and reality as Reinforce returns and a deadly enemy is in the lurch while on vacation with her friends at an unknown location.Hayate centric,NanoFate and other pairings.
1. Morning Blues

Well greetings :) This is my very first attempt in writing a fanfic of Yagami Hayate from Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha coz I notice a very disturbing fact that there's barely any Hayate fanfics made and its extremely rare to come across one where Hayate isn't made into a flirt playgirl paired up with NanoFate in a threesome or some other random (weird) pairings. Not that I object that of course but its just that I strongly feel a need for Hayate to deserve her own unclaimed lover, in my case, Reinforce from MSLN A's.

This story will take place 2 years after the JS incident of MSLN StrikerS where (21yr old) Hayate will experience pain of the past once again and so, the story unfolds… The story also mostly revolves around Hayate and Rein (with added additional short bonus helpings of NanoFate) so love it or leave it :)

My writing's not superb coz I've lost touch in writing for 4 years already so I'm pretty rusty with the use of words but please do give reviews. I'm open to opinions and critism (if you must) so sit back and enjoy anyway :D

Things to take note of:

Sound effects: "~_Click_~"

Speech: "Hello"

Thoughts: '_Hm…_'

Telepathy: "_You think so?_"

Device's speech: "_**Yes sir**_"

Tome of the Night Sky: "_**Collection**_"

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from MSLN. Only the plot is rightfully mine while Reinforce is rightfully Hayate's X3

* * *

**Prologue **

"I'm grateful. So in the end… I want you two to be the ones to seal me away"

"Do you really have to part with Hayate-chan this way?"

"To meet such a person, to love them deeper than the sea and wish to protect their happiness. You'll understand it one day"

"_**Don't worry**_"

"_**Take a good journey**_"

"Yes… I was in your care too if only for awhile…"

"Reinforce, stop! I'll suppress it! You don't have to do this!"

"I've lived for quite a long time… but in the end, I received a beautiful name and heart from you. So please, I will depart smiling"

"I'm your Mistress! Listen to me! I won't let you go out of control! I promised you that didn't I?!"

"You've already magnificently kept that promise. The duty of the Tome is to protect and eliminate dangers to the Mistress. Please let me choose the most efficient way of protecting you"

"But you've been sad for so long… And you were finally… finally saved!"

"My will shall live on in the souls of the knights and your magic. I will always be by your side"

"That's different! That's different Reinforce! Why…? We were supposed to be happy from now on…!"

"It's fine. I'm the happiest magical tome in the whole wide world"

"Reinforce!"

"Mistress Hayate, I have one request. Please grant my name '_The Blessed Wind, Reinforce_' to the new container that will hold your magic in the future. My soul will definitely dwell in it"

"Reinforce…"

"Yes my Mistress. Everyone, thank you and… goodbye…"

**Chapter 1- Morning Blues  
**

The morning sun filtered through the one-way glass windows that stretched from the floor to the ceiling and poured light into the grand room. Freshly painted white walls decorated by several priceless portraits, lavishly furnished with top quality furniture, air-conditioned, soft carpeted flooring, a strategically placed antique fireplace to warm up the entire area during winter, a well-equipped kitchen and living room, state-of-the-art toilet and etc.

Also with an added feature of fully automatic from self-cleaning, switching to home-entertainment mode provided for a wide range of events to suit the atmosphere and other hidden surprises, all by a simple press of a button from a single remote control. An apartment suite belonging to Yagami Hayate, definitely fit to provide ultimate comfort for the Lieutenant Commander of the TSAB of 13 years since the tender age of 9.

The rays of daylight slowly crept further into the deeper parts of the room where the posh sleeping quarters of the Lieutenant Commander resides and shine directly on her angelic face, seemingly with the motive of waking her up from sleep.

Hayate squirmed beneath the covers, much in discomfort by the sudden glare of light. Her sapphire eyes flickered open slightly as her half-asleep mind begins to register what was going on. A full five minutes later, she sat up for a much needed stretch, breathing in the morning fresh air at the same time.

"Mmm… Ahh~ Wonderful morning~!"

With her hair astray and silk nightdress hanging loosely by the shoulders, Hayate wasted no time in springing out of bed, ready for action. She glanced around for her energetic tiny companion but as expected, the little one was still snoozing within her portable home placed atop the side table. Smiling as she shook her head, Hayate carefully unzipped the top and couldn't help beaming.

Dressed in the same matching nightdress as herself, the tiny figure slept soundly in a curled-up position, her chest rising and falling as she breathed steadily, still within in her dreams. Greatly resisting the urge of tickling the tiny one awake, Hayate planted a light kiss on her forehead and left the girl to her peaceful sleep.

Enjoying the soft sensation of carpeted flooring at her feet as she walked towards the fireplace, Hayate sat down cross-legged and stared deeply into the now feeble fire, allowing her mind to drift away from troubled thoughts. One of which was the recurring dream that haunts her every night until today. The dream of that particular snowy night she had lost Re-…

'_Mmm… Ah! What am I doing? It's been years already. She left happily with a smile. I can't… No, I shouldn't be thinking about this now. Rein should wake up any moment soon. Oh well, might as well I prepare breakfast now_'

"Nggh… Aahhh~ Who turned on the lights…" Rubbing sleep from her eyes while struggling to sit up, Rein grumbled when she found out that her "roof" was unzipped and wide open, very much annoyed that she was woken up way before her usual time by the bright light.

Once she was done stretching and fully awake, she flew out in search for the culprit who caused her sleep to be disturbed. After sweeping the entire room with her sharp vision, she discovered the culprit humming merrily to herself whilst whipping up something delicious for breakfast at the kitchen.

Feeling a mischievous urge to creep up and blow ice-cold breath into the culprit's ear as payback, Rein suppressed her giggling as she flew cautiously yet steadily closer. But before she could even carry out her plan, the culprit turned around in a flash and caught Rein red-handed by the cheeks.

"OUCH! Mou~ Hayate-chan that hurts! You know I HATE getting pinched! Lemme go~!" Rein struggled futilely to escape the wrath of Hayate's slender yet lethal fingers when it comes to pinching. A grinning Hayate ignores Rein's protests and cheerily continued on the punishment.

"Hehe that's what you get for trying to creep up on me"

"Mou~! But how did you know?! Itai~!"

"Silly Rein~ After all, I was the one who woke you up didn't I? I've known you well enough to know that you want to creep up on me as payback. Try considering that before attempting anything on me again next time hehe"

Feeling a little remorseful, Hayate finally released the tiny girl from her misery and laughed heartily as she watched her pout and grumbled, rubbing her clearly red cheeks. She just had to admit that Rein is just too adorable in many ways.

Being the last of her children and the most spoiled, even more spoiled than Vita, Reinforce Zwei born 12 years ago from the self-less sacrifice of the original "Blessed Wind Reinforce", stuck on with her through thick and thin, wearing matching outfits at times and brought happiness to her life. Rein was practically like a precious twin sister to her. But of course, without the original Reinforce there won't be Reinforce Zwei.

"Reinforce…" Tears dangerously threatened to pour down Hayate's smooth cheeks as her thoughts once again drifted to that particular night where Reinforce disappeared into the sky…

Rein flapped her arms vigorously to catch Hayate's attention, alarmed by the sudden change of mood. "Hayate-chan!? Are you okay?! You look as if you're about to cry!"

"Eh? Ah yes I'm just fine. Just some dirt in my eyes that's all haha"

Hayate hastily wiped her tears and shook the thoughts away. She couldn't bear to compare Rein with the original Reinforce and hurt her feelings, not after spending all those years together. Giving the worried Rein a reassuring smile, Hayate perfected the final touches to her infamous breakfast and served it hot and fresh.

"Well enough excitement in the morning, let's eat! Breakfast is served!"

"Yay! That's the Hayate-chan I love! Always the best in everything!"

"Ohh~" Without hesitating, Hayate pinched Rein by the cheeks again and sneered "So I'm only the best to you when I cook eh???"

"Eh?! OUCH~! No no no of course not!! I love Hayate-chan deeply no matter what! Nggh… Itai~!" Rein struggled futilely against Hayate's wrath once again.

"That's a good girl~" Hayate smiled broadly, pleased by her apparent victory. "Now we can eat hehe"

"Mou~ Hayate-chan! I'll get back at you one day!"

"Silly Rein"

"Hee~ Itadakimasu!"

-Tbc-

AFW: Its pretty short for this one. The prologue is from MSLN A's episode 13 where it's a conversation between Reinforce, (Nanoha) and Hayate during the night of her sacrifice. It never fails to make me cry no matter how many times I watched it. Chapter 1 is just a sneak peak of Hayate's usual morning routines and the kind of relationship between Rein and her (in a sisterly manner of course…. For now XD) Review please X3


	2. Surprise Visits

FYI: This chapter is a continuation of the previous chapter after breakfast ^^ Also, after much consideration, I've decided to extend the story with more added humor (since I find the original draft too angsty and uneventful) And yes, I'll be adding more NanoFate in too since it does makes everything more interesting (LOL) But of course, the main limelight will be on Hayate and Rein (Reinforce too)

Suggestive Pairings: Hayate x Rein, NanoFate, Signum x Shamal, Zafira x Arf (kiddy form)

Things to take note of:

Speech: "Hello"

Thoughts: '_Hm…_'

Telepathy: "_You think so?_"

Device's speech: "_**Yes sir**_"

Tome of the Night Sky: "_**Collection**_"

I do not own any of the characters. Only the plot is rightfully mine and Reinforce is rightfully Hayate's XD

**Chapter 2 – Surprise visits **

"Hey Rein, how do I look?"

"Hm~ eh?"

Emerging from the walk-in closet was Hayate, donned in her crisp brown suit and jet-black tie, complimented by the pure white stockings, and highly-polished brown cot shoes. There was also the white band of rope that stretches from under her left blazer to her back, something of utmost importance for the higher ups to include as a symbol of their superiority.

Rein, who was in the process of buttoning up her own inner white blouse, stopped short and began scrutinizing the one before her from head to toe in a professional manner, rubbing her chin as she did so. Being around Hayate practically everywhere, Rein knew she looked just like any other day but today was slightly different. Deciding to get her payback at Hayate, Rein grinned as her azure eyes sparkled mischievously.

"Well if I didn't know any better, you look absolutely stunning today Hayate-chan"

"Aww~ Really? You're making me blush"

"Really! Handsome in fact, I dare say"

"Daring indeed but not one to be said out in public. The consequences will be quite… interesting"

Rein raised a questioning eyebrow, "Oh, in what way? Enlighten me"

Hayate crossed her arms at her chest and grinned at the possibility, "Well for instance, every girl would take even the slightest chance to flock over to me IF what you claimed is accurate"

Wide-eyed, Rein immediately flew up to Hayate's eye level, unaware of her half-exposed chest and protested, "Hayate-chan~! No way am I going to allow that!"

Pleased that the tables have turned, Hayate smirked, "And why not? You're jealous that I get all the attention from the girls? OR… Does Rein want all the girls for herself?"

Flapping her tiny arms vigorously, puffs of smoke could almost be seen coming out from her ears, "N-NO! Mou~ Hayate-chan! You know that's not true!'

"Of course I know silly~ If I'm not mistaken, Rein wants me all for herself right?"

Hayate eyed the now frozen tiny girl. She couldn't help smiling victoriously as Rein crossed her arms at her chest and looked away, unaware that her cheeks were now a shade of deep red.

"Nggh… I'm not going to answer that"

"Rein's as red as a tomato~"

"I-I'm not! Mou~ Hayate-chan's a meanie"

"Silly Rein hahaha"

Having had her fill of clinching victory once again, Hayate reached out and gently began buttoning up Rein's undone blouse with a warm smile. Slightly taken aback by the rather embarrassing situation, Rein could only blush further as she watched silently.

"There. Now you look as stunning as me. More dashing with your blazer on afterwards I reckon"

Twirling her forefingers together, Rein mumbled quietly as she tried her best to avoid eye contact with Hayate. Her cheeks evidently still a deep shade of red.

"…There's actually something missing on you"

Hayate, of course didn't let Rein's peculiar reaction go unnoticed, so she placed her finger under her lip and innocently asked, "Eh really? What is it then?"

"This"

In a flash, Rein planted a kiss on Hayate's lips, catching her completely off guard. However tiny it was, Hayate felt her own cheeks flush instantly as an unexplainable jolt of electricity surge through her entire body. Incidentally, that was her first ever received kiss. Rein flew back to her home and put on her brown blazer. Her head held high in apparent victory as she grinned at the still stunned Hayate.

"That's as thanks and also for every morning. You didn't think I'm unaware of you chancing kisses on me while I sleep eh? Now, that's mine for you"

Having being caught red-handed, Hayate snapped back to reality and scratched her head as she bowed apologetically, "Eheh… Rein has finally caught meanie Hayate red-handed. Do you hate my sneaky kisses?"

"Hm~ Rein hates it…"

Crestfallen, Hayate's shoulders slumped as she hung her head in the air. Shaking her head as she laughed, Rein tried her best to give Hayate a hug despite her size.

"…But loves it when Hayate-chan kisses Rein openly just like I did. Because that's how Rein shows how much she loves Hayate-chan"

Deeply touched by Rein's words, Hayate embraced the tiny girl in her arms as tears of joy formed at her eyes. Wiping off the tears with the back of her finger, Hayate chuckled as she lightly pats Rein's head.

"Okay I admit defeat this time. You won fair and square"

"Yay! So do I get a prize or something???"

"Hey! Don't push it. But hehe well since you did make me so happy today, I'll treat you to your favorite bubblegum cherry deluxe ice-cream. How's that sound?"

"I'm looking forward to it! Yay! Thanks Hayate-chan!"

"You're very much welcome. Thank you too. Well since we're up pretty early today, why not take a stroll around the grounds eh? It's been awhile since I've seen my other children"

"Ok! Oh don't forget your coat Hayate-chan. It's cold outside especially since its winter now"

As Rein settled on her right shoulder, Hayate switched off her entire room with a simple click of the remote control and headed out to the door. Slipping on her fur-coat, she headed for the first destination, the infamous training grounds of TSAB.

* * *

As Hayate approached the snowy training grounds, she could very well hear Vita's shriek and felt Signum's aura of power and wisdom even at a good distance away. Once she arrived at the scene, she wasn't surprised to see a great contrast in condition of the trainees split under the care of Vita and Signum.

Vita's squad wore expressions of true horror and was thrown all over the place while Signum's was more focused and organized. Crossing her arms, a smile formed on Hayate's lips as she decided to witness her children's training methods.

"…You call that an attack!? Pathetic! You'll never survive out in the real battlefield that way! Get up on your feet and fight! Do you need Graf Eisen to remind you weaklings how to not rely on others but only on your own pathetic selves?!?!"

"…Bonding with your weapon is essential to determine the outcome of the battle. In my case, I do not see Laevantine as a sword but as a part of my soul. That's how a true warrior wins a battle, not relying on prowess of the weapon but rather working as one with it. Losing a battle only means the failure of the wielder itself to harness his/her own inner strength"

Hayate applauded gleefully. She was very proud when they had performed above expectations. At once, everyone turned their attention to her and gave a sharp salute followed by unison in their address 'Lieutenant Commander Yagami, ma'm!' Sending their individual squads off for 10 rounds of the field, Vita and Signum went up to Hayate and saluted again.

"Can we be of help to you Lieutenant Commander Yagami, ma'm?"

"Ah yes~ Where's Captain Nanoha?"

"She's on leave today so we're in charge, ma'm!"

Returning their salute, Hayate giggled as she beamed at her two precious knights in red suits, both looking fairly confused at their Mistress's abnormal behavior.

"Ah yes~ Enough with the formality you two serious Vice-captains" Hayate waved it off and grinned. "I've come to visit my precious children, is that so wrong? Come here~"

Pulling the two into a tight embrace, Signum could only try her best to keep her hands to herself while Vita squirmed under Hayate's neck, both blushing furiously excluding the elated Hayate.

"Mou~ Hayaaaateee~! What are you doing?! Nggh…!"

"…Mistress, if I may, this is… inappropriate when we're all on duty"

"Ahh~ Don't be such spoilsports. It's not everyday I get to hug my beloved busy children you know" Finally releasing them from their plight, Hayate ruffled Vita's hair as she kissed her forehead. "How's my little Vita-chan today? Coping well with work? Did you have breakfast? You're tummy's going to be upset if you don't"

Giggles could be heard from Vita's squad as they jogged past. *Note: Whispering*

"_Look it's mama's girl~_"

"_Aww~ her tummy's upset. Don't worry, mama will rub it for you~_"

Trembling as she summoned Graf Eisen, four metal ball bearings appeared behind her and she shrieked, "I told you weaklings to RUN not to GOSSIP!!! Take THAT!!!! RUN WHILE YOU CAN, YOU SPINELESS WORMS!!!!!"

"_**Swallow flier**_"

In an instant, Vita's squad scrambled for safety as the ball bearings were sent straight for them at the speed of light. Cries of horror could be heard as it made contact with the ground and exploded, sending the trainees in the air together with a great deal of snow. That definitely will shut them up permanently now. Pinching Vita's nose and waving her other forefinger, Hayate scolded in a motherly fashion.

"Now now Vita-chan. Don't be nasty to the trainees. Don't want them to be scarred for life after that. Be nice okay?"

"Nggh… Hayaaaateee~ that hurts! Mou~! You're making me embarrassed!"

Hayate placed her hands on the sides of her hip as she huffed, "What's there to be embarrassed about? You should learn to be more like Signum"

Without skipping a beat, Hayate tip-toed and planted a chaste kiss on Signum's cheek.

"See? Signum's completely okay with it Vita-chan"

"Heh you sure about that?"

Frowning, Hayate turned her attention to Signum, gently poking the taller one's stiff shoulder and innocently asked with curiosity in her eyes.

"Huh? You're alright aren't you Signum?"

Wide-eyed and frozen stiff from the shock, Signum hardly even dared to breathe. She cupped her face with trembling hands and muttered under her breath.

"_N-no… That did not just happened… I-I… have just… tainted the Mistress's lips…_"

"S-Signum…? Are you okay…? Your face is turning purpl-"

"MISTRESS!"

Suddenly, Signum knelt down on one knee as if in a proposing position, hung her head in the air as she offered Laevantine with two hands to a stunned Hayate and spoke in grief.

"I have just broken my Knight's code of honor by tainting the pure Mistress! Mistress, please accept this humble sword and behead me as my punishment! I shall die in peace by my own sword…" (Literally lol)

"EH!?!?! What's the meaning of this?!"

"You fool Signum…"

Kicking away Laevantine, Vita slammed Graf Eisen on Signum's head lazily as she yawned. The impact, however light it might seem made by Vita, sent Signum face-first into the pile of snow and her head disappeared down under. Hayate's jaw dropped as she held out a trembling finger to a now motionless Signum. A trail of light smoke could be seen from the huge bump, sticking out like a sore thumb on the back of her head.

"Is she d-dead?!"

"Heh it'll take more than that to kill her. Come now Signum. We have spineless worms to torment in Captain Nanoha's absence…"

Vita merrily hummed a tune in sync to her strides as she dragged Signum along by the feet. If anyone else were to watch, they would think Vita was dragging only the lower half body of a human as the upper half was submerged under the snow. Hayate scratched her cheek with her finger, exchanged glances with Rein and sighed.

"Well I guess it is a bad time for them now…"

"Mmm… How about Shamal onee-chan? She wouldn't be too busy after all since the number of casualties has dropped significantly in the absence of war"

"Hm~ good point there. Lets pay her a surprise visit too then"

* * *

"Zafira!!! Come back here you little…!"

"Nyeheh~ Tag you're it! Try and catch me first!"

"Dear god I've got no time for this… Arf~ Would you be such a dear and catch that sneaky little runt for me?"

"My biggest pleasure Shamal-sensei. We've got a score to settle anyway"

"Do whatever you wish to him. Just get my suitcase back intact. You'll earn yourself a big juicy steak if you succeed"

"Alright~! You're on! I'm off now~"

Shamal nodded as she watched the orange haired girl skipped out the door. Once the coast was clear, she buried her face in her gloved hands and sighed.

'_I'm so close… So very close to finally get what I want but that little…_'

An urgent knock snapped Shamal back to reality as she excitedly swung open the door.

"Ah~ Arf! That was fast! Did you get back my su- Oh my god!"

Standing at the door was a frowning Hayate, holding a pouting Arf up by the back of the collar in one hand, cradling a bleeding Zafira in the other and the suitcase by her feet.

"Would you care to explain this Chief Doctor Shamal?"

At a loss for words, Shamal glared at Arf who merely shrugged, "What? You told me I could do whatever I want to him. So I used him as a sled down the flight of stairs. It was really so much fun until party-pooper Lieutenant Commander Yagami here caught me and the rest is said history…"

'_Damn!_' Shamal made a move for her suitcase but was stopped by Hayate's swift legs and came face to face with the now furious Mistress. Clearing her throat, Shamal immediately whisked the semi-conscious Zafira to the bed and performed her treatment, all under the scrutiny of the silent Hayate.

"Um… Do your best, Klarer Wind. Healing wind~"

"_**Ya**_"

As the green glow engulfed Zafira, Shamal went up to Hayate and bowed her head as she greeted, "Ah… Morning, Hayate-chan. What… brings you all the way to visit old mundane me?"

Raising an eyebrow, Hayate held out both Arf and the suitcase to the now anxious Shamal.

"Mundane eh? Judging from the horror I witnessed at the stairs, with a screaming Zafira and a smirking Arf on his back… I call that pretty much eventful. Now tell me Shamal, what did you offer Arf this time?"

"I-I uh…Nothi-"

"She offered me a big juicy steak. She didn't care how I deal with Zafira just as long as I get her suitcase back"

Glaring at the now grinning Arf, Shamal tried her best to restrain herself from lunging on that double-crossing brat and use her in a dissection experiment. Satisfied with the provided solid evidence, Hayate set the girl down and pat her head.

"Now you've just earned yourself a ticket out of this mess. I'll overlook this little incident BUT you will not receive that steak and you're forbidden to come near Zafira at all cost. Breaking this rule will very much land you in the same state as him right now or perhaps even worse. Understood? Now run along"

Gulping hard, Arf saluted the fearsome Lieutenant Commander and ran out of the room as fast as she could. Without turning her back, Hayate sighed, "Shamal… Don't even think of sneaking your way out of this one. Hand over that suitcase or give me one valid reason why I shouldn't Ragnarok Breaker you right now"

'_Damn! Does she have eyes on the back of her head or something?!_'

Knowing very well she had lost, Shamal chewed her lip as she surrendered her suitcase to the outstretched hands of the superior one. Hayate, curious of the contents, lightly shook the case and heard soft rattling of metal from within. Gasping, Hayate shot a questioning look at the now blank Shamal.

"Hey Shamal, you didn't actually… smuggle anything illegal into the TSAB right? If it's against regulations, I can't really help you out from being retained"

"Not exactly illegal… It's supposed to be a special surprise but since you've caught me…"

Feeling more curious now, Hayate clicked open the case and took a peek inside when she gasped, "Holy! A dildo, vibrator and…"

Instantly, she shut the case tightly as her cheeks flushed and her heartbeat became more rapid. "These are some… pretty impressive… stuff. No wonder you were so… protective of it"

"Well… Now it's not really that special for Signum anymore since you've already seen it…"

"Haha trust me. Signum is in a desperate need of some… pampering. She's real stiff nowadays"

"…"

"Uh… well, I'll take my leave now. Hope you enjoy your… time with Signum eh? I'll… pretend I didn't see this at all. Let's go Rein"

With that, Hayate gently place the fragile suitcase on the table top, bowed and briefly walked out of the room. Slumping on her chair, Shamal rubbed her aching temples as she absentmindedly stroked the hard metal cover of the suitcase.

'_Oh well… What must a woman do to get what she wants for once...? Especially the one involved is Signum, the-ever-so-unromantic-knight… _'

Once the door was shut, Hayate sighed as she covered her eyes with her palm, trying hard to force the images of Shamal's toys out of her head.

'…_This is getting out of hand… A lovelorn Shamal… A violent Vita… A self-conscious Signum and… A playful 10 year old Zafira?! My children are indeed… busy with their own lives nowadays…_'

"Hayate-chan? Are you okay? You look pale…"

Removing her palm, Hayate faced a worried Rein and her spirits lifted as she ruffled the tiny girl's silver hair.

"Yes I'm fine Rein. Why don't we return back to the office? It's about time anyway"

"Ok! Wherever Hayate-chan goes, Rein will too!"

Hayate, with Rein on her shoulder, made her way back as they conversed lightly. Heart-warming smiles shared between them.

'_Yes that's right. I have you by my side Rein_'

* * *

Back at her private office, Hayate groaned at the sight of the piles of paperwork scattered all over and twirled the antique pen with her fingers as she supported her head with the other hand on her desk. Glancing over to her left, Rein was merrily singing a tune, engrossed in her own pile of paperwork at her mini office.

'_That Rein always has it easy… Wonder if I should learn to be more like her…?_'

Instantly, images of herself being hyperactive and chirping in a high-pitched tone flashed across Hayate's mind. Gasping in horror, she slapped her own cheeks, ceasing her mind from thinking further.

'_Nggh…That's a scary thought…_'

Resuming her little form of entertainment, Hayate's mind drifts away as she watched the pen danced with her fingers.

'_It's winter already… How many years has it been since I've first joined the TSAB? 12_..._? 13…? Has it been that long? And that dream… Reinforce… Why do you haunt me every night…? Or is it that I can't seem to forget yo-…_'

"-yate! Lieutenant Commander Yagami Hayate!"

Snapping back to reality, Hayate nearly fell off her chair as a familiar face on the screen was right smack in her view.

"Eh!? Ah! Knight Carim! You startled me there!"

Knight Carim of the Cathedral took a sip of her tea, grinning at the still startled Hayate. "Well that's just desserts for daydreaming on the job. What's wrong Hayate? You look a little… spaced out"

Gathering her piles of scattered paperwork into a neat stack, Hayate nervously laughed, "R-Really? Ah… well it's nothing much. So, do you some important matters to discuss today?"

Setting down her cup of tea, Knight Carim cleared her throat. "Yes. In fact this is a very important matter that requires number one priority"

Frowning, Hayate crossed her arms at her chest. '_Surely there can't be another war. It's been 2 years after the JS incident and nothing has cropped up so far. Why now?_'

"Alright, I'm all ears"

"Its… Vacation time!!!"

"WHAT?!"

-Tbc-

AFW: Hehehe personally I do find this chapter hilarious. What do you think? Of course the story won't drift too far away from the original plot but I do hope you'll enjoy some helping of humor once in awhile. Review and comment please~ XD


	3. Winter Vacation Proposal

FYI: Phew finally! This chapter took me quite awhile coz I had to do some research and alter the storyline entirely. I know update's kind of slow but I won't quit this story don't worry. Thanks for the extremely wonderful reviews! =D

Suggestive Pairings: Hayate x Rein, NanoFate, Signum x Shamal, Zafira x Arf (kiddy form), Agito x Rein (My my~ Rein's such a flirt)

Things to take note of:

Speech: "Hello"

Thoughts: '_Hm…_'

Telepathy: "_You think so?_"

Device's speech: "_**Yes sir**_"

Tome of the Night Sky: "_**Collection**_"

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. Only the plot is rightfully mine and Reinforce is rightfully Hayate's XD

**Chapter 3 – Winter vacation proposal**

"WHAT?!"

In an outburst of shock, Hayate toppled the chair backwards along with herself. Stunned momentarily, her slender legs remain suspended in the air as Carim took quite an eyeful of it.

"Hm~ nice legs by the way. Yup you heard me. Since things have settled down, why not go for some relaxation time at the beach? It'll be great with the sea breeze, crystal clear sea, warmth of the su-"

Grumbling as she rubbed her aching back, Hayate's head peaked out from under her table and retorted, "Yes I heard you very clearly but that's not the point!"

"Then what is?"

"Uh… Hello? It's WINTER! The waters are frozen solid! Cold breeze! Snow everywhere! Now does that ring a bell?"

Taking another sip of her tea, Carim shook her head as she sighed, "Tsk tsk tsk Hayate. Your faith in me is quite disappointing. Of course I would've thought about that! After much consideration, Chrono-kun and I have decided to fully authorize your four-days-all-expense-paid private vacation to Liebe Island where its summer all-year-round! AND, you'll be back just in time for Christmas! Now doesn't that just sound exhilarating~!"

Finally properly seated on her chair, Hayate groaned as she buried her face in her hands, "Liebe Island? Sounds like a scam…This is not some joke you and Chrono came up with right? I've had enough of things going wrong lately…"

"See? Exactly my point!"

"Huh? Meaning…?"

"Look at yourself. You're too stressed out. Being cooped up in that office certainly has made you space out more often now. You have to let loose sometimes and this is one such opportunity. Do not waste it Hayate"

Placing both her elbows on the desk and intertwining her fingers together, Hayate rested her chin on it. '_I do need a well-deserved break or rather an escape from this wretched place. The beach does sounds good… I guess it won't really hurt to have fun… But…_'

"What about TSAB? Not only concerning my position but will they allow a SSS-class mage to roam around freely? It is one of the reasons why they would keep me on base even when there's no danger or threats at bay…"

"We've taken care of all the details, even the minor ones. The island is located in another dimension anyway so Mid-Childa will not feel threatened"

"…You make me sound like some dangerous wanted criminal being sent to exile…"

"Ahaha do I now? Anyway, don't worry about trivial matters like that and just have fun. You can bring as many companions along if you wish"

"What about my friends then? How will their position and duties in TSAB be maintained and carried out successfully in their absence?"

"Heh easy. We'll assign another potential member of the TSAB to temporarily carry out their duties. Now, stop being such a worry-wart. It's all going to be alright, trust me"

"_That's what I'm afraid of…_"

"Huh? What did you say?"

"Eh nothing. A-Are you sure about this Carim?"

"Yes silly. I've got your back. After all, that's what friends do right?"

Exchanging smiles and giggles, Hayate suddenly cried out as she pointed to the screen just when Carim was about to sip her tea. "Carim! There's something behind you!"

Alarmed, Carim jerked head her back, "Eh what what?!" Years of training had kept her the teacup still steady in her hands. Sighing in relief to find nothing, Carim turned her attention back to the screen. "There's nothi- EEEEEEEK~!!!!"

Out of shock, Carim flung the teacup off her hand and spilled tea all over her chest as she screamed. Her years of training couldn't hold a candle against Hayate's well-planned sneaky trick.

"HAYATE!!!!! WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!?! I HATE rats!!!! Now I have tea all over my blouse! Grrrr!!!!"

Clutching her lower abdomen, Hayate couldn't help but laughed out loud at the comical scene. She giggled as she held up the puppet sock rat, "That's for making me fall off my chair. Don't take it to heart now~ That's what friends do after all right? Returning a very much deserved payback at every opportunity"

Carim cursed softly through gritted teeth as she fumbled with the front of her ruined blouse and sighed, "Fine fine you win for now. Well, let's not waste time. Get packing because you'll be departing by 1100 hours today. Remember, you are limited to bringing only 11 friends along and you can't afford to procrastinate as it's a specific once in a time period flight. Have fun and enjoy! _Me and Chrono won't be responsible for any problems cropped up during your vacation... _So, toodles~!"

Choking on her own drink, Hayate spluttered, "SAY WHAT!? WAIT CARIM!!!!!" But before she can ask for further details, Carim had ended the call with a wide grin and a wink. Hayate slammed her fist on the desk as she hurled curses to the air, "#%*! She said I could bring as many along as I want! And what the heck?! I haven't even prepared a single thing yet so how would she expect me to be ready by 1100?! Damn that two-faced goody-good shoes sneaky *&%#! I ought to skin her alive and… !"

"Um… Hayate-chan? You're messing up the paperwork…"

"HUH?"

True enough, the impact of her fist on the desk had caused her piles of paperwork to get scattered all over once again. Hayate muttered a string of reasonably tame curses under her breath as she hastily gathered back the scattered papers. '_GAH!!! I'm going insane!_ _Tsk~ I really do need that vacation now…_'

Glancing on her cyber clock that showed 0930, Hayate slammed the now neat pile of paperwork on the edge of her desk and glared at the tensed tiny one, "Rein! I have a very important task for you. Summon Captain Nanoha, Enforcer Fate and the rest of our family members here **right now**. Be discreet to avoid the entire TSAB to know of this. It's only between us and them. Understood? Now hurry. We don't have much time"

Without hesitation, Rein nodded and flew out of the door in a flash. Hayate sighed as she plopped back on her chair and laid back. She eyed her empty office and sighed further, sinking down the length of the backrest of the chair.

Although her office was pretty much as grand as her private room with more than adequate room to move around easily, well-equipped with all the necessary materials for work and etcetera, she can't help but feel claustrophobic. Ironic yes but she can't deny that confined sensation, being all alone in that room… all by herself with none by her side.

"Heck even the silence is piercing my ears…" As she was deep in thought, her free hand pulled open the private drawer that holds her unison device and the Tome of the Night Sky on impulse. Surprised by the unintended reaction, Hayate smiled slightly as her slender fingers traced the curves of the device she holds dear to her heart.

However, it didn't have the warm pulse radiated out like Raising Heart nor Bardiche which indicates the device's very soul. It was cold and lifeless to her touch.

'_You promised… You said your soul will dwell in it yet… No no I shouldn't be selfish… Probably her soul is finally resting in peace after looking out for me all these years…_'

Drawing her hand slightly away from that painful fact, Hayate carefully picked up her device by the highly-polished gold chain and wore it on her neck. Silently, she rose from her seat and made her way to the windows, leaning against the cold smooth texture of glass. Tracing the haunting one's name on the spotless glass with a finger, she froze the moment she heard a hyperactive, chirpy voice booming over from the speakers.

"Attention all TSAB personnel~! This is Sergeant Major Reinforce Zwei urgently requesting Captain Takamachi Nanoha, Vice-Captains Vita Roxanze and Signum Merzwen, Enforcer Fate T Harlown, Chief Doctor Shamal Kluvize and Guardian Beast Zafira Tzexha to present yourselves in Lieutenant Commander Yagami Hayate's office now. This is concerning a top priority matter so you're participation is very much appreciated. Uh… how do you end this thing? Eh!? Oh m-"

Once the dreaded announcement was cut off, Hayate banged her forehead on the glass repeatedly as she groaned, "Damn! What part of '**Being discreet**' did she not get?! Now the whole TSAB obviously knows of this supposedly private discussion! Urgh… Vacation… here I come…"

* * *

Minutes later, the entire summoned group of people poured in through the office's door and stood abreast in saluting the Lieutenant Commander, all looking distressed at the sudden request of their presence. Returning the salute, Hayate leaned against the front of her desk and silently observed the ones before her.

Both Vita and Signum had rosy pink cheeks and were shivering slightly from being in the cold for too long. Shamal was fiddling with her fingers, trying hard to avoid eye contact with Hayate due to the previous embarrassing encounter. Fully recovered Zafira, still in his child form, placed his hands in his pockets and looked around. Nanoha, with a worried Fate supporting by the waist, appeared to be a mess in her uniform with noticeable creases all over. Crossing her arms at the chest, Hayate smiled through the corners of her mouth. '_This is definitely the perfect bunch to deserve a much needed break and come along with me_'

Tension rise in the now packed office as they began to fidget at the discomfort of being summoned yet not being addressed of the reason behind their attendance and the grim faced Lieutenant Commander scrutinizing them with her cold sapphire eyes. Just when Fate was about to voice her concerns in behalf of the rest, Rein burst through the door, dragging in a struggling Arf by the ear.

"Hayate-chan! Arf here is eavesdropping from outside! Tell her that's very bad!"

"A-Am not! I just happened to pass by that's all! Lemme go~!"

Shaking her head, Hayate sighed as she gestured for Arf to enter. "Won't this ever end? God… Let her go and since she's here, might as well include her in" Pulling up a screen, she securely locked the door and covered the windows with blinds, the light of the office now dim and the atmosphere sent a chill down the spines of the summoned ones. Confused in the added effect of drama, Rein shot a questioning look at Hayate and asked out of curiosity, "Uh… Hayate-chan? What's going on here? And why is your forehead swollen red?"

Smacking her forehead with her palm, Hayate groaned. "_Way to spoil the mood_… Don't ask Rein… Just DON'T. Anyway…" Turning her attention to the rest, she cleared her throat and fixed her gaze on every single one of them. "You're all probably wondering why I have summoned all of you here yet have not spoken a single word ever since your arrival. The reason? Simple. I have specifically chosen all of you to join me in a four-days-all-expensed-paid winter/summer private vacation at Liebe Island after much consideration and observation. We'll be leaving today and be back by Christmas. Does anyone have any violent objections?"

Only the silence answered her. She could've sworn seeing everyone's jaw dropped as they stared at her in disbelief. Especially her Wolkenritter, who knew perfectly that their Mistress wasn't exactly the generous type when it comes to financial matters. What felt like an eternity passed when Fate finally resumed voicing out her concern meekly.

"H-Hayate this isn't some joke r-right? This is just too… sudden"

Rubbing her aching temples, Hayate frowned. "It's not. You know how much of a bad joker I am. This is real and it concerns all of you. My first reaction too was exactly the same and I was told why. We have been cooped up in TSAB for too long and as proven, work have taken over our lives so much so that we have forgotten to let loose and enjoy ourselves in a much deserved vacation. You surely can't deny that. For instance…" Hayate fixed her sapphire gaze into Nanoha's lavender ones, catching her off guard.

"Nanoha, you've never once had creases on your uniform but… I understand you're on medical leave today, no? Then why do you show up, hastily dressed and being in a mess despite that?"

"T-That's because I…"

Now fixing her gaze into Fate's ruby ones, Hayate huffed. "And you, Fate. You should know better than to allow Nanoha to be here even when she's sick and resting at home. Why do you still bring her here then? Shouldn't you be staying by her side and taking care of her rather than concerning yourself with this?"

Being also caught off guard, Fate glanced at the now speechless Nanoha and anxiously answered. "T-That's because you summoned us here. It's regarding an urgent matter after all so we can't miss it or else…"

Standing at her full height, Hayate turned her back against them and raised her voice. "Or else what? I'll fully unleash my SSS-rank magic on all of you? I'll sack you from TSAB? I'll send you to exile? You very well know I'm not authorized to do so and such thoughts never once crossed my mind before. Do not deny it. You have all come here in the name of work and duty just because you were summoned by a higher up..."

Taking a deep breath, Hayate balled her hands into a fist as she tried to control her clash of emotions. "…None of you had also dared to speak up during that awkward silence just now. Am I such a feared Lieutenant Commander or as I would say… some monster in your eyes? Even my children, who's been with me all my life until TSAB came into the picture and separated us, is your Guardian Knight systems or rather our family bond has weakened until beyond recognition? Why am I just seen as a high ranked Lieutenant Commander… not as plain old Yagami Hayate who misses her beloved family and friends…?"

As the last of her echoes trailed off in that confined room, Hayate allowed the silence to settle and engulf her entire being. She buried her face in her hands and bit her lip.

'_I-I've said it… 12 years of pent up emotions and pain of seeing my beloved ones drift away from me… But probably they might think I'm ranting away unnecessarily…_'

After mentally-preparing herself, Hayate turned to face them and froze. All of them wore expressions of extreme guilt and grief, some even had tears welled up in their eyes. At once, a fresh wave of guilt coursed through her veins as her own tears threatened to pour down her cheeks. Vita, whose tears are streaming down her rosy cheeks, spoke up through choked sobs, followed by the rest.

"Hayaaaatee~ I'm sorry if I had made you sad…"

"Mistress… I have failed to be by your side just as I had sworn to do in the past…"

"I could heal everything but the pain in your heart… I'm so useless… Forgive me Hayate-chan…"

"I failed my duty to protect you Mistress…"

"Hayate-chan… I'm sorry I didn't realize your plight sooner… If only I wasn't too occupied with life at home… I could hav-"

"No, it's my fault. I didn't carry out my duties properly to manage our lives and neglected friends. You're right Hayate. I should have known better… I'm so sorry…"

Wiping away her tears, Hayate held up her hand and shook her head. "No no I was too harsh. Forgive me for prolonged life at TSAB have also brought me to my wits end" Smiling broadly now as her sapphire eyes sparkled with excitement, she winked. "Now… what do you all say? Will you come with me to this once-in-a-lifetime vacation?"

This time everyone exchanged excited glances and nodded in unison. Surrounding Hayate in a circle, Nanoha held out her hand to the middle where everyone stacked their hands on top of hers and winked. "We'll be obliged to be with you to the end. Thank you Hayate-chan" At a loss for words, Hayate could only smile and place her hand atop that stack where they would raise their hands up and yell out '_Yeah!_' altogether, just like in the olden days.

Laughter filled the air as they interacted with each other, voicing out their excitement. Hayate smiled as she shook her head. "Haha well get packing people. We'll be leaving in exactly an hour. Assemble at the main foyer and we shall head to the airport in Fate's car and mine. Is that okay?"

A worried Nanoha intertwined her fingers with Fate's and nervously asked, "Hayate-chan, is it okay if Vivio comes along? Haru can stay here with Nanny Alice but I can't bear to leave Vivio alone without her two mamas…" Hayate placed her hands on her hips and smiled hopelessly. "If I were to say no, you would still smuggle her along one way or another anyway. Sure of course she can come along. I, as her favorite aunt, would be crazy not to allow that. Now that's settled, everyone run along and pack alright? We're running short on time. Get out of these uniforms and dress up for some serious fun to catch up on!"

With a final crisp salute, everyone rushed out and headed for their respective quarters. Feeling as if the heavy burden of the world on her shoulders had finally been lifted away, Hayate headed for the windows and seek the serenity of the snow outside with Rein in tow.

'_Yeah… It's great to spend time together again_. _But…_'

Clutching her device tightly in her hands before her chest, Hayate turned to face an oblivious Rein and winced. That splitting image, the flowing silver hair and those burning crimson eyes behind pure azure ones. Memories of the haunting one flashed across her mind instantly.

'_If only you were here… with me… living happily together…_'

"Hayate-chan? You there? Aren't you going to pack?"

At once, Hayate's vision sharpened on the curious Rein, poking her cheeks with tiny fingers. "Ah~ Just thinking about what to pack. Come then. I'm looking forward to this!" Smiling as she nodded her head, Rein flew off first while Hayate followed slowly behind.

'_Although a fragment of you still remained… You're gone... If only I could be with you again once more instead of merely haunting memories… Reinforce…_'

* * *

"Ah! Nanoha-mama! Fate-mama! Welcome home~!"

Just as Nanoha took a step inside the apartment suite that she shared with Fate and their happy family, she was immediately pulled into a tight embrace by an elated Vivio. Getting down on her knees, she returned the embrace with a smile. "Yes, we're back. Vivio has grown taller eh? Nanoha-mama doesn't remember Vivio being this tall when Nanoha-mama hugged you the last time" Nanoha beamed as she held Vivio by the shoulders before her, receiving a peck on her cheek by the little one.

"Vivio will grow more and be even taller than Nanoha-mama one day~!" Vivio chirped happily, tip-toeing as high as she could to prove her point.

Fate joined in the laughter once she locked the door and ruffle Vivio's hair, just like any proud father would do. "Haha we'll wait for that day to come then. Have Vivio been a good girl? Where's Nanny Alice and Hikari?"

Reaching out her hands, Vivio replied as she bounced on her toes. "Vivio's been a very good girl~! Nanny Alice bought little sister out to the park. Vivio stayed at home because Vivio wants to wait for her two best-mamas-in-the-whole-world to come back. Carry me Fate-mama! Carry me~!"

"That's indeed a very good girl! Hup~!" Fate effortlessly lifted the girl by the waist and carried her on an arm, receiving a peck on the cheek as well. Holding out the other arm to Nanoha, she smiled. "Come Nanoha. We should break the news to Vivio and start packing. We have exactly 45 minutes left. Will you be okay? Or do you need me to rush over to the pharmacy and get some medication?"

Taking Fate's outstretched hand, Nanoha wobbled slightly as she stood up but regained her balance when she leaned against Fate's sturdy shoulder and grinned. "I'm fine. Just a little off that's all. No way am I going to spoil this opportunity to spend quality time as a family and along with old friends"

Walking hand-in-hand towards their shared bedroom, they explained the trip to Vivio who nodded in excitement. Once there, Fate set the wriggling girl down who immediately sped off to pack while Nanoha went into the walk-in closet and began unbuttoning her white blazer. Peeking in, Fate shook her head when she saw Nanoha fumbling clumsily with the minute buttons.

"Need help with that? I'll gladly undo them for you since you're not feeling too well"

Pouting, Nanoha snapped. "Mou~ I'm not that weak you know. I won't let the others down"

Closing the door after her, Fate joined Nanoha in unbuttoning her own black blazer and huffed. "That's so like you Nanoha. Always thinking of others before yourself. Hayate does have a point there just now you know. I should keep you home the next time you're sick"

"And that's so like you Fate-chan to be such a worrywart. I'm very healthy mind you. See? Ahh!"

In the effort to prove her point, Nanoha spun around on the spot only to lose her balance and fall into Fate's arms who raised an eyebrow. "You were saying? I worry because I love you and you know that very well"

Leaning against Fate's taller frame, Nanoha gave a peck on the cheek and whispered softly into her ear. "Yes I know that and so do I. But can we please go for this? Hayate-chan is really counting on us and I don't have to worry about a thing since my knight in shining armor is always by my side"

Frowning slightly, Fate secured her arms around Nanoha's waist and sighed. "Well since you put it that way… Alright then. We'll go for it"

"Yay! Thanks for believing in me Fate-chan"

"By the way…" Fate grinned widely with a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. "...Being rarely kissed by Vivio, I dare say that I prefer her kiss over yours"

Jerking her head to face her lover straight in the eyes, Nanoha snapped. "What!? So my kisses aren't special to you?!"

"I didn't say that now did I? But then again, your kisses…" Fate claimed Nanoha's smooth lips within hers as her ruby eyes burned into lavender ones. "…Brings me up to high heaven…"

Pinning Nanoha against the wall, Fate proceeded in undoing her blazer while they kissed passionately, neither losing out to the other in the intense battle of their tongues. It was until Fate's hand had crept up from under her skirt that Nanoha squirmed and spoke breathlessly.

"Mmmm~ Fate-chan… Not now… We've got to pack…"

Proceeding down her neck, Fate began working on her favorite spot at the crook of Nanoha's neck and spoke in a husky tone. "Hmm~ Anytime's a great time… We have to get out of these uniforms anyway… It won't take a minute to pack in my Sonic Form… I can do wonders after all…"

Slipping out a moan, Nanoha nipped Fate's ear as she too began to undress her lover. "You're right… Now that sounds interestingly suggestive… You never cease to amaze me Fate-chan"

"I love you Nanoha"

"So do I…"

* * *

Hayate bit her lip as she paced back and forth, glancing at her cyber clock which showed 1045. Leaning against her car, she fixed her gaze at the entrance of the TSAB main building in the hopes of getting a glimpse of Nanoha and Fate's arrival.

'_Tsk! Where are they!? I really should have just Ragnarok Breaker them…_'

A hand on her shoulder snapped Hayate back to reality as she turned to face Signum, dressed in her white coat and the purple scarf around her neck. "Do not worry Mistress. They will be here in a few more minutes. Please be patient a little longer"

Burying her hands into the warm pockets of her fur coat, Hayate sighed. "If I'm not wrong, I perfectly know the reason behind their delay… Have all the items been packed into the boot?"

"Yes Mistress. Everyone is also seated inside the car. Please do take a seat inside, Mistress. You'll catch a cold if you're out here for too long"

"That does sound logical but as long I don't keep guard out here, those two lovers will nev-"

"Hayate-chan! Sorry for being late~!"

"Ah~ Speak of the devil"

Running from the entrance with Vivio in her arms was Nanoha, clad in matching pink coats and her lopsided white hat. Panting slightly, she set Vivio down and sighed in relief. "Oh thank goodness! I thought you left already. Fate's on the way with the car. I'm really sorry Hayate-chan. We were… held up with something that's why"

"Aunt Hayate! Vivio misses you! Hug~!"

Hayate smiled as she pat Vivio's head then grinned at Nanoha. "Yes I'm very sure of what you were… held up with. Especially with the lasting evidence on your neck"

Blushing furiously as she tried to cover up Fate's traces on her neck with her scarf, a loud roar turned their attention to a jet-black car pulling up nearby. It was a highly-polished and well-tuned Lamborghini Gallardo with blazing red tire rims. Winding down the tinted window, Fate's head peeked out from the driver's seat and laughed nervously.

"Ahh~ Hayate! Hope we're not too late. Sorry for the hold up"

Hayate smirked as she leaned against the car and stared straight into Fate's eyes. "And I know very well what the hold up was about. Anyway, I see you've done some modifications eh?"

"Well yeah, just some tweaks here and there. Haha I can say the same for you. It's a wonder why I've never seen you ever take it for a spin. You're car is hot, Hayate"

Facing her own car, Hayate beamed. A metallic silver Corvette fully modified with a Race Spec body kit, Downforce spoiler and white tire rims. Crossing her arms at the chest, she grinned. "It's specifically for occasions like this when we're going to be late if we don't hurry. Come then, let's get going. My car may not be at the same level as yours BUT I assure you that my top speed will win you hands down. Up for a race to the airport?"

"Heh you're on. Be prepared to get smoked by me. Winner gets to take the loser's car for a spin. Deal?"

"Deal. Signum, get in the car. We're not going to lose this one"

Horrified, Signum stammered as she tried to reason with Hayate. "M-Mistress! The road's slippery with ice! Please allow me to drive… It'll be so much s-safer!"

Hopping into the driver's seat, Hayate huffed. "What are you talking about? I drive perfectly safe. Now don't argue with me and get in the car. This race is mine" Knowing she couldn't argue with her Mistress, Signum strapped herself down in her seat and chewed her lip.

Revving up the roaring engine, Hayate smiled broadly when the immense horsepower of her car surged through her body. With her eyes sparkling in excitement, she chirped.

"Alright kiddies strap yourselves down! We're gonna burn some rubber~!"

"NOOOOOOOOO~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

-Tbc-

AFW: Yes its finally done! I had to do some trial-and-errors so that I wouldn't make the characters seem out of place. Oh yes, I made up the Wolkenritter's last names coz it would be much more appropriate. Although it's a little weird I know but heck it's still nice in a way (LOL)

Arf and Zafira will be in their child forms unless stated and yes, Nanoha and Fate have a two year old biological daughter named Hikari (Light in Japanese) I figured since Vivio is like an English name and so is Fate's, I decided give that name since its in Japanese to match Nanoha's and it also stands for a deep meaning, just like Fate's. But I won't elaborate on her until further later in the story :3

And the cars are based on my Need For Speed Most Wanted psp game. Gallardo is my dream car which I originally thought of assigning it to Hayate but I decided not to since Fate's car in MSLN StrikerS looks almost like a Gallardo anyway. Corvette and Audi TT are my next favorites so I chose Corvette for Hayate since it's bigger and much more logical to squeeze in her entire Yagami family (Wolkenritter) To have an idea of how the cars really look like, search for images from the game and you'll see how awesome they are XD

Really a wonder that Hayate can drive eh? But you'll see why everyone screamed when she drives in the next chapter. Thanks once again for the awesome reviews! Stay tuned~! Review please~ =D


	4. Calamity

FYI: Deepest apologies for the extremely slow update of this chapter! I had to do extensive research and added more twists to spice up the story a little ;) I've also given much thought and decided to add (new) pairings. Hope you'll enjoy it nonetheless~! XD

To avoid confusion, those going for the vacation are Nanoha, Fate, Vivio, Arf, Hayate, Rein, Agito, Vita, Signum, Shamal and Zafira. Also, Hayate's unison device (Gold cross pendant) is called Reinforce. I'm sure many would already know of this since it was stated in MSLN A's last episode but just in case for those who don't =)

If you have any suggestions or requests (more NanoFate or HayaRein or whatsoever, please do leave me a review with that. I'll gladly accept and consider =D)

Things to take note of:

Sound effects: '~_Click_~'

Speech: "Hello"

Thoughts: '_Hm…_'

Telepathy: "_You think so?_"

Device's speech: "_**Yes sir**_"

Tome of the Night Sky: "_**Collection**_"

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. Only the plot is rightfully mine and Reinforce is rightfully Hayate's XD

**Chapter 4 – Calamity**

Minimal rays of light that pierced through the darkening clouds gleamed on the highly polished surface of the two cars, now side by side at the starting line, jet-black against metallic-silver. Winding down a tinted window each, the thundering roar of powerful engines deafened their ears immediately, making communication through speech impossible yet it does not bother them. Nothing could be more satisfying enough for two rivals to meet in the eye and exchange smirks before the race itself.

"_Well, this is it Hayate. The race to determine the better car and of course, the more skilled driver. I'm not holding back even if this is your first ever attempt racing in that not-as-awesome-as-mine car heh. Are you ready?_"

Hayate winked. "_You speak too much. First to reach the destination within 10 minutes or less by all means necessary, wins. Turbo boosters are allowed and only under extreme conditions that magic can be used_"

Fate frowned. "_By all means necessary? You don't plan on cheating are you?_"

Aghast, Hayate scoffed. "_Seriously Fate. I won't ever resort to such desperate measures to win. I may have lost to you many times but I certainly have not lost my pride. Now, let's begin. We have only roughly 13 minutes to make it in time_"

Grinning widely, Fate returned the wink as the tinted window wound up. "_Now that's what I'm talking about. Very well, we shall begin in two minutes time in order to make the necessary preparations first_"

Once the window was shut and drowned out the deafening roar outside, Fate closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. Nanoha, who was seated beside her, couldn't help but ask out of concern.

"Fate-chan? Is everything going to be alright?"

Facing her beloved wife, Fate smiled. "Yes dear. Everything's going to be fine. But we may have to drive up to unimaginable speeds in order to make it to the 46km away airport in less than 10 minutes…" Her smile faded as she looked away in shame. "…The road is under no condition to be racing on, a snowstorm is coming, the risk of skidding to occur is nearly 100% even for an experienced driver like me and it's entirely my fault if we don't make it in time…"

"Why's that?"

"Because…" Fate fixed her gaze onto Nanoha's, guilt clearly reflected in her ruby eyes. "…I couldn't control my own selfish urges and I've caused everyone to be late"

Placing her delicate hand on her stunned lover's cheek, Nanoha smiled sweetly. "It's equally my fault for not thinking ahead. But that doesn't matter. What does is that you give it all you got and try your best to get us there in time. I believe in you Fate-chan"

Vivio, who was seated at the passenger's seat along with Arf, chirped in excitedly. "Yeah! I believe in you Fate-mama! Vivio loves it when Fate-mama drives fast! VROOOOMM~!" A grinning Arf also added in. "Besides, I'm around so your safety is in good hands. My magic will protect us from harm, guaranteed heh"

"Everyone…" Fate smiled as she placed her own hand over Nanoha's. "…Thank you. But Nanoha, there's something I've kept from you about the past. You see, Hayate…"

*********************

Hayate placed both her hands on her chest, directly over Reinforce, and mouthed a silent prayer once the roar outside was drowned out. Signum as alert as ever, didn't let this go unnoticed and took the opportunity to reason with her stubborn Mistress once again.

"Mistress, I strongly object this race. It's too dangerous with the slippery road and the expecting snowstorm. Please allow me to drive instead… It's for your own safety"

However, the brunette kept mum and continued her silent prayer. Balling her hand into a fist, Signum spoke through gritted teeth. "M-Mistress! Please listen to me! It's dangerous! I don't wish for history to repeat itself where yo-"

"Signum Merzwen"

"Nggh…" Lowering her fist, Signum muttered under her breath. "Y-Yes Mistress…"

Opening her eyes slightly, Hayate stroked the smooth leather texture of the steering wheel before her and spoke softly. "…That was merely an unfortunate accident. It was my own mistake that nearly cost my life and Fate's"

"But Mistress! She had deliberately crashed onto you!"

"Fate had no choice. I was spinning out of control. If she hadn't done so, I wouldn't even be alive today"

"Still, it does not justify that scar you obtained while she suffers mere scratches!"

"Ah… So you're upset over that"

Hayate straightened up her back and smiled. "See? I'm perfectly fine"

"Mistress, you do not understand!" Signum's turquoise eyes were ablaze with fury yet they held sorrow within. "That collision nearly took your life… You were barely alive… All because of a race which you did not inform us of... I could have been there and saved you but…!"

"Signum…" A worried Shamal who was seated at the passenger's seat directly behind Signum, held the shaking one by the shoulder and turned to a guilt-stricken Hayate.

"I have to agree with Signum, Hayate-chan. The emergency operation took beyond 9 hours as that gash had significantly damaged the nerve tissues and had even extended to rupturing the entire structure of your spine. It pushed me and my team of doctors to our limits as we fought against time to replace damaged nerves so that it wouldn't disrupt the pathway of the reflex arc and also revert your spine back to its original state…"

An awkward silence settled between the experienced Chief Doctor and the other passengers who wore expressions of pure confusion on their faces, apparently clueless of whatever she had just explained. Clearing her throat out of dignity, Shamal resumed her explanation in a more simplified way.

"Uh… In short, you may have survived an otherwise fatal injury however, you could have been paralyzed for life perhaps even died if-"

"-If Testarossa had not brought you for treatment immediately…" The pink haired one clenched her fist tightly, the network of veins clearly beginning to appear. "But still! She brought you back, bathed in your blood! Mistress please…!"

"…I-It was raining heavily that night a year ago…" Hayate's voice faltered as she recalled that particular moment in time.

*******************

'~_Pitter patter pitter patter~_'

The relentless rain bombarded the windscreen of the Lieutenant Commander's prized glossy navy blue Audi TT. She grumbled from behind the steering wheel as she flicked the windscreen wipers to high speed but it made no difference in clearing the water off her view.

"This windscreen is equipped with anti-magic, bullet-proof and everything BUT water-proof!!! Nggh… I should've thought about that sooner…"

With a defeated sigh, Hayate cautiously maintained her 166km/h speed as she strained her eyes to make out the road ahead. However, the lack of streetlights offered no help and even her glaring headlights could only do so much in such a situation. Cursing her luck, she jumped when a familiar voice came from her speakers.

"Hayate, how are you holding up? Visibility's getting poor. I can't see a thing upfront at all. I suggest we race another day since it's getting too hazardous now"

"WHAT!? Argh! Just when I'm way ahead of you for once…!"

"Aww~ come on Hayate. I don't want to endanger both our lives if we go on. The odds of skidding are really high tonight. Call it quits? I'll treat you dinner as a forfeit alright?"

"Okay fine…" Hayate groaned at her huge disappointment and remarked in a slightly sarcastic tone. "You really do know how to find a way into a woman's heart eh? It's no wonder Nanoha is head over heels in love with you"

Fate chuckled. "Haha find a way into your stomach you mean. Ah~ Just one of my irresistible charms. Don't you agree?"

"Oh hush you. That wasn't meant to be a compliment you know"

"I know but its still fun to tease you" Another chuckle as Hayate's cheeks flushed. "Anyway, let's get back before the rain gets any heavier. Over and out"

Once the transmission was over, the radio resumed its playlist and played a song which drew Hayate to hum to its soothing tune.

'~_Yatto tadoritsuketa ne… Futari meguriaeta basho ni~_'

She sighed as her concentration drifted away from the road ahead. '_This song… So peaceful yet it holds an element of haunting sadness within. As if… someone precious had been lost… Just like Re- Nggh!_'

Hayate grimaced as clutched her chest with one hand. It was as if she had been stabbed from the back by an invisible force. The excruciating pain began spreading towards her lungs where it slowly began to fail her. Gasping for air, she panicked as she tried to reach Fate for help but to no avail. There was no signal, the radio was off and the eerie silence seemed to suffocate her further.

"Damn! What's happening to me!? C-Can't… B-Breathe…!"

Hayate felt her energy drain away and her vision began to blur as tears streamed down her cheeks. She watched helplessly as her grip on the steering wheel loosened and fell limp on her lap. Instantly, she was spinning out of control down the steep slope that leads to a sharp bend where beyond that was a long fall off a cliff. Being thrown about in her seat, she choked on her sobs as she braced for death.

'_Nggh… What a way to die… Guess I'm finally able to meet you in the skies after all these years… Reinforce…_'

At the instant of her last breath, Hayate felt a pulse from under her grip as her device grew hot by the second and heard muffled screams of her name from the distance. Then, everything went blank.

"HAYATE!!!!!!"

Kicking into high gear, Fate's blazing red Mustang GT easily caught up to the Audi TT that was spinning wildly towards its impending doom. Chancing a glance to its driver, Fate cursed when she found Hayate's head lolled against the window, the steering wheel clearly unmanned.

'_WTF she's asleep?!?! If I don't do something fast, she's gonna get thrown off the cliff! What should I do!? Damn it!!!! I don't have a choice!_'

Without hesitation, Fate slammed down on the throttle to full power and sped off ahead, made a swift u-turn at the bend and headed directly for the out-of-control Audi TT.

"Bardiche!"

"_**Yes sir. Barrier Jacket up**_"

Tightening her grip on the leather steering wheel, Fate yanked the emergency brake and braced herself for impact. There was a great clash of metal as they collided head-on at high speeds. The impact sent Fate backwards and slammed her against the backrest of her velvet seat, knocking the wind out of her. However, she had succeeded in preventing the worst.

Slightly dizzy, Fate cautiously made her way out of the wreck, suffering a few scratches on her hands from shielding herself of debris. The wind and ice-cold rain struck her the moment she was out and soaked her entirely within mere seconds. Taking a few feeble steps away, Fate trembled as she took in the full view of the wreck.

Smoke escaped from the top of the tangled mesh of metal, the cars' were unrecognizable, debris was strewn all over, sturdy windscreens were cracked and simply said, it was a dreaded nightmare came true. Miraculously, there was no explosion due to the rain dampening out the fires before they could do any further damage or else, both of them would have not survived at all.

Then, it dawned on her that Hayate was nowhere in sight. Frantically, Fate rushed over to the wreck and sighed in relief. Hayate was lying against the backrest of her seat with a peaceful look on her face, pretty much intact thanks to the fastened seatbelt and the emergency airbag.

"Oh thank god she's safe! I never would have forgiven myself if anything were to happen to her while under my care. I'd better get us home quick before either one of us catches a cold"

Pleased with herself, Fate proceeded to unfasten the sleeping brunette's seatbelt as she chuckled. "My my~ It'll be great to tease her about how she had actually fell asleep so peacefully and nearly get us both killed- Wha…?"

Just when Fate was about to carry Hayate off the seat, she noticed a red trail coming from the backrest down to her legs. Fearing the worst, she carefully lifted Hayate's back off the backrest and cried out in horror. The impact was so hard that it had triggered the seat's metal supports to break out of the protective cover and pierced through Hayate's back, causing a 30cm long deep gash from her shoulder blade down to her lower back. Fate's ruby eyes fixed intently on the continuous flow of fresh blood oozing out.

"N-No… Please no…! Hayate?! HAYATE!!!"

The brunette merely fell limply on horrified one's chest, cold and hardly breathing. Fate hastily checked for a pulse but it was faint and irregular. Silently, she carried the unconscious Hayate in her arms bridal style and stood under the mercy of the rain, blood washed all over her barrier jacket and arms.

"You'll be alright Hayate. I won't let you die on me… Bardiche"

"_**Yes sir. Barrier jacket Sonic Overdrive Form**_"

In a flash of lightning, all that's left behind was only the hellish wreck.

**********************

"…And as I've said, it was my mistake for uh… falling asleep while driving. Fate did what she had to do to save me. I owe her my life"

Hayate bit her lip. She had told them the entire truth excluding the part where she was attacked by an unknown force. Even Fate had thought she merely fell asleep and she wants to remain it that way. She had been investigating the cause but found no leads or answers even til today.

'_With this given vacation, I will find out the cause of my near-death. Nobody is to know about this. Come on Signum! Buy my story! Stop giving me that look~!_'

A skeptical Signum crossed her arms at her chest and eyed the tensed Hayate. "That's why I should drive. Since you might fall asleep again, Mistress" A grinning Agito, clad in her miniature purple coat and pink scarf around her neck sat on Signum's shoulder and added in. "Heh yeah Mistress. Signum should drive and I'll be her added firepower to really burn some serious rubber!"

Relieved that her cover was not blown, Hayate smiled and went dangerously close to a shocked Signum's face, their noses inches away from each other. Placing a slender finger on the older one's flushed cheek and caressing it, she spoke softly almost in a seductive tone.

"My dear Signum~ What did you just say about me? That I'll fall asleep easily? How about I answer that with… THIS!"

In one swift movement, Hayate stretched out and mercilessly pinched Signum's cheeks, catching her off guard completely. The pink haired one yelped as she struggled futilely against her smirking Mistress. "W-What!? Argh! Mistress!"

"Heh that's for questioning my driving skills. Now, be a good girl and stop worrying so much. I have my entire family here by my side so if anything's to happen, I believe I'm safe in your hands, my children. Isn't that right?"

Returning her heart-warming smile, her Wolkenritter nodded in unison. Instantly Hayate's spirits lifted as she readied into position, one hand on the emergency brake while the other firmly on the steering wheel, one foot on the throttle while the other on the clutch and her sapphire eyes fixed on the snowy road ahead. Just at that right moment, Fate's voice boomed in her head.

"_Alright it's time. You ready?_"

"_Ready as I'll ever be. Start in the countdown of three_"

"_Very well. Be careful Hayate_"

"_Same to you Fate. In 3…_"

"_2…_"

Slamming her foot on the throttle, Hayate's eyes sparkled in excitement as her engine roared tremendously loud and shook the entire car.

"_1…_"

"This is it my children! Hold on 'cause Mistress Hayate here will take you on a drive you'll never ever forget!"

"_GO!_"

In that instant, Hayate released the emergency brake and her Corvette soared forwards, leaving behind a blazing trail of tire marks.

******************

"Rein, what's the exact time and distance we're left with? Rein? Rein~?"

Weaving effortlessly through the traffic of the highway at a speed of 266km/h, Hayate glanced at the rear-view mirror only to see her tiny companion sleeping peacefully alongside Agito on Vita's lap whom herself was dozing off on Shamal's shoulder. The ivory blonde haired woman was leaning against the window and stared blankly in Signum's direction, an expression of desire and yearn evidently written on her face. Zafira too, had a look of loneliness as he fiddled with the ends of his white scarf and mumbled to himself.

'_Mmm… Everybody has indeed missed out so much on fun. I bet they'll truly enjoy themselves later on and it'll be a good reflecting time for me. Wonder how's my co-driver doing_'

Shifting her gaze to her left, Hayate smiled when she found Signum sitting straight up and staring at the road ahead. Giggling, she teased her stiff knight.

"Hey Signum, you should learn to relax. I've not crashed so far, right? Absolutely nothing to worry about"

However, Signum still remained stiff and did not reply at all. Frowning, Hayate lightly nudged the unresponsive one's shoulder and huffed.

"Hey Signum~ don't have to ignore me if you're upset you know. Helloooooo~?"

With one final nudge, Signum's head fell against her chest and soft snores could be heard from her. Wide-eyed, Hayate stared at the now snoring knight in disbelief.

'_She's asleep all this while!? Holy cow! She can sleep with her eyes wide open! Thank god I didn't allow her to drive or else, god knows what might happen… Ah~ the storm's beginning. I better pick up the pace. Fate's not far behind too_'

Increasing pressure on the throttle, her speed smoothly rose up to 275km/h but the steering wheel vibrated slightly in her grip.

'_My hands are getting numb. I've covered 33km so far and I'm left with 4 minutes to cover the remaining 13km. This is crazy… We'll never make it… Brr~ Why is it suddenly so cold in here? I better turn up the heat_'

Flicking on the heater and windscreen wiper to high, Hayate couldn't help but feel uneasy as she squirmed in her seat. The snowstorm outside increased in intensity and even caused the bulky Corvette to sway in the wind.

Hayate shivered through rattling teeth, her breath escaping as a winter fog. Glancing at the speedometer, it had increased to 281km/h without her knowing.

'_I-It's happening again…! I can't move my legs and its freezing cold in here! I can't seem to talk or communicate with the rest! Why?!_'

The steering wheel now shook violently in her weakening grip as she gasped for air once again. Resisting the urge to give in, Hayate screamed for help but all that came out was a choked cough. As her vision began to cloud, cold sweat trickled down her spine the moment she focused on the being standing directly in her path not too far away. The stranger's crimson eyes burned into hers even from the distant.

'_No… It can't be…_'

Clutching her chest, Hayate let out a muffled scream when her device grew hotter by the second and burned against her bare skin. As she doubled over from the excruciating pain, she watched helplessly as her hand stretched out by impulse towards the minute red button on her steering wheel, her finger grazed its smooth texture.

'_Nggh…! Not the turbo booster…!_'

"Mmm~ So warm…" Groaning as she rubbed sleep from her eyes, Vita removed the yellow scarf from her neck and began fanning herself in the effort to keep cool. The others followed suit, all with confused looks on their faces at the sudden rise in temperature.

Now very much awake, Signum noticed cars whizzing past her window in split seconds. '_Why are they driving so fast? Or is it…_' Jerking her head over to the dashboard, she gasped when the speedometer showed 298km/h.

"Mistress! Are you going to get us killed!? Slow down!!! Mistress?!"

However, Signum's words fell on deaf ears. Hayate's gaze fixed onto the unmistakable being that now stretched out its arms, as if welcoming her. It had a ghostly smile formed on its luscious lips and flowing hair just like the color of pure white snow.

'_No… Not you… Please no…! I can't stop!_'

To her despair, that being refused to budge an inch. Hayate watched in horror as her Corvette neared the gap between them within mere seconds yet it still did not make any effort to move away.

'_N-NO!!!!! GET OUT OF THE WAY!!!!!_'

It was too late. Hayate shrieked as her Corvette rammed into the being at full speed and it crashed face-first into the windscreen, fresh blood oozing from the delicate features of its face as it was momentarily dragged a short distance up the screen and finally thrown off the car. Trembling violently as she clawed her hair, Hayate continued screaming at the top of her lungs at the horrific sight of the fresh trail of blood.

The Wolkenritter jumped in their seats at their Mistress's sudden blood-curdling scream. Alarmed, Signum lightly shook a crazed pale-faced Hayate by the shoulders while the others gathered around with shocked expressions.

"Mistress Hayate?! What's wrong?! Snap out of it!"

"S-She…! I-I j-just…! B-Blood…! Ahhhh!!!!!!!!!"

Signum hugged her distressed Mistress, stroked her hair in the effort of calming her down and cooed. She winced slightly when Hayate clawed her back and bit her shoulder, choking on her sobs.

"There there Mistress… We're all here. You're safe. Probably it's just a nightmare. Ssshh~ calm down~"

Just when things had calmed down, a horrified Shamal screamed next as she pointed ahead. "Signum! Oh my god~! We're gonna crash!!!"

True enough, up ahead was a high rock-walled sharp bend leading to exit 43 which signifies the end of the highway. Slipping out a curse, Signum grabbed the violently shaking steering wheel with her free hand but it wouldn't obey.

"Damn! We're too fast! I can't steer away in time! Rein! Wind down my window now!"

Being nearby Hayate's other side, Rein obeyed and hurriedly set the window to wind down automatically. A gust of ice-cold wind and snow entered instantly and engulfed them entirely, deafening their ears and freezing them to the bone. Shielding the still trembling Hayate from the relentless wind with her own body, Signum stuck her free hand outside with Laevantine in her numb grasp and cried at the top of her voice.

"Laevantine! Cartridge load!!"

"_**Explosion**_"

Flashes of bright purple emitted from the majestic sword, now extended to its snake form as it revolved anti-clockwise against the flow of the strong gust of wind.

"Destroy that wall! Flying Dragon Smash!!!"

With all her might, Signum swung Laevantine forward against the gust of wind. At once, the combined rays of purple and blast of sharp blade pierced through and destroyed the seemingly indestructible wall in a blink of an eye. As Laevantine released steam, everybody slumped in their seats and sighed in relief. However their happiness was short lived. Wide-eyed, Vita screeched as she pulled on Signum's arm in panic.

"Signum!!! Now we're gonna plunge down a few hundred meters right into the sea!!!!"

"%$&!?"

In a split second, the Corvette had driven through the wall and soared in the skies momentarily before plunging down without warning. The Wolkenritter except a now sleeping Hayate within Signum's protective arms, screamed as the cling on to their seats. Facing the fast approaching vast sea, the screaming pink haired knight wasted no time in giving out instructions.

"Argh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Zafira! Shamal! NOW!!!!!!!!!!"

Immediately, Zafira formed a shield surrounding the entire car however, Shamal closed her eyes as she held Klarer Wind close to her lips and mumbled under her breath.

"…Determining coordinates… Detect presence of allies… Opening portal…"

"SHAMAL!!! HURRY!!!!!!!!!"

"There!" Thrusting her hand forward, Shamal's violet eyes sparkled in the light. "Long Distance Teleportation!"

Moments before the bonnet of the Corvette came into contact with the water's surface, a large neon green magical circle appeared and they plunge right into it.

*******************

"Hey Fate… Wonder if we should tell them we teleported here?"

The blonde froze while unloading the trunk and laughed nervously. "Come on Nanoha~ My driver's pride is at stake here"

Crossing her arms at her chest, Nanoha frowned. "I'm sure they would understand that since we're roughly left with a minute. Speaking of which, where are they-"

"YEARGHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Looking up, Nanoha gasped when Hayate's Corvette emerged from a large neon magical circle, its occupants screaming at the top of their lungs. Craning her neck backwards to face a shocked Shamal, Signum shrieked.

"SHAMAL!!! Why did you end us up in mid-air!?!?!"

"What??!! I did you guys a favor alright!"

Groaning, Vita butted in. "Shut up you two and do something quick before we crash!!!"

Whisking out her tome, Rein flipped through its pages and pleaded. "Nggh! Save us Tome of the Azure Sky!"

A flash of bright blue blinded their eyes as the mini tome answered her plea and they landed safely on a huge bouncy airbag right behind Fate's jet-black Gallardo. Dispersing the shield and airbag, the Wolkenritter staggered out of the now tamed Corvette and sighed in relief. A dumbfounded Fate walked up towards them and gaped.

"Whatever happened to you guys? You look terrible… As if you've been through a hell of a roller-coaster ride. And Hayate?"

Being the last to climb out of the car, Signum snapped with Hayate in her arms bridal style. "Urgh… Don't ever ask what happened. It was pure hell alright. Mistress Hayate had a nightmare that nearly got us killed and she passed out afterwards…"

"Ah~ Hayate did it again huh?"

"Mmm…" The sleeping brunette stirred in her sleep and flickered open her sapphire eyes to face Signum in the eye. "Signum…? What are you doing…? Why am I in your arms…?"

Signum's cheeks flushed when she noticed how cute her Mistress looks half-awake and stammered as she set her down on her feet. "Ah…! A-Apologies M-Mistress! Y-You fell asleep and we nearly crashed and teleported here and…! Mistress?"

Hayate rushed over to her Corvette and ran her hands continuously through the smooth, unstained bonnet and windscreen. Wide-eyed, she chewed her lip as vivid images of the earlier accident flashed across her mind.

'_I-Impossible! I could've sworn it happened but my car's unscathed! I passed out…? Was it just a dream? What's going on…!?_'

Sitting on Hayate's shoulder, Rein asked worriedly. "Hayate-chan? Are you okay?"

Snapping back to reality, Hayate shivered slightly when she faced Rein's splitting image of that being but she smiled nevertheless. "Yes Rein I'm fine. Just a little dizzy that's all. And…" Turning her attention to Signum, she pouted. "…I don't have a clue of what you're saying Signum. You were sleeping with your eyes open for goodness sake!"

"B-But…!"

"Hey Fate, catch"

"EH?"

Flinging her car keys over to a confused Fate, Hayate shook her head as she smiled. "I don't really get what's going on but you've won every right to drive my car. I won't be driving for awhile anyway. Come on then everyone! Let's get on that plane!"

Skipping past a stunned Signum, Hayate and the rest hastily gathered their belongings and ran up the grand staircase of the airport. Rooted to the ground, a tearing Signum watched helplessly as her Mistress disappeared into the building.

"M-Mistress~ How could you…"

"You fool Signum. We've got to get a move on~"

From the back, Vita casually slammed Graf Eisen on Signum's head and dragged the unconscious one by the feet once again as she whistled a tune.

Nanoha's jaw dropped at the scene she had just witnessed. "Car falling from the sky, screams and dragging by the feet?! The Yagami family is indeed uh… special in their own way I guess… Hm~?" Feeling a tug on her sleeve, she looked down and smiled at Vivio who was pointing towards the Corvette. "Yes Vivio?"

"Nanoha-mama, Fate-mama is sneaking off to Aunt Hayate's car"

Jerking her head over towards where Vivo was pointing, Nanoha growled and immediately stopped Fate dead in her tracks. "FATE TESTAROSSA HARLOWN! COME BACK HERE NOW"

Fate immediately obeyed and nervously cleared her throat at the fuming Nanoha. "Y-Yes honey? I-I was just making sure that Hayate's car is locked and secured that's all… Ouch! Nanoha~!"

Pulling hard on her lover's ear, Nanoha frowned. "You can play with cars when we get back. Now we've got a plane to catch so hurry up and help me unload the trunk! Or else…"

"Y-Yes ma'm!" A terrified Fate scampered off to do as she was told.

********************

'_~Please remain in your seats at all times for your safety. We will be jumping through the dimension once in orbit and will reach the destination in 2 hours and 6 minutes. Have a nice day~_'

"Woah… This is awesome!"

"A private jet cum spaceship all for ourselves! Nice job Hayate!"

Astonished herself, Hayate could only smile as she took a seat near the window. Drowning herself in deep thought, she sighed.

'_What's wrong with me…? And why you, Reinforce…?_'

-Tbc-

AFW: Okay I can't really elaborate much in this chapter because I'm having much trouble making the story go more smoothly. But fear not, I will elaborate further in the next chapter so hold on till then! Please do review and comment =D


	5. Fright Flight

FYI: Another chapter finally! I've been down with fever and caught up with long hours of full-time work but I still managed to get everything in order so I really do hope you'll enjoy XD Deepest apologies if I had made you wait sooooo long for this *bows apologectically*

I've also read a few fanfics on romance (forgive me for I'm not much of a romantic person since I never once had a relationship before) and decided to tweak my writing style a little to add in more much-needed romance and contact between the characters :) More Shoujo-ai/yuri-ness coming up courtesy of NanoFate, Sigmal n etc =D

Well-deserved credit goes to awesome authors like ShotgunNeko and Knight of L-sama who have written such inspiring romance and rekindled my love for ShizNat and Hayate x Reinforce x Fate x Nanoha. Thank you for being my inspiration and I salute you for your awesome works! I'll be looking forward to more of your stories!!! XD

Any recommendations or opinions please do kindly leave me a review :) Your reviews are very much appreciated and drives me on to continue the story further. Thank you for the extremely wonderful reviews too! XD

**WARNING**: This chapter contains scenes of violence and definitely disturbing. Not for the faint-hearted. You have been warned *winks*

Things to take note of:

Sound effects: '~_Click_~'

Speech: "Hello"

Thoughts: '_Hm…_'

Telepathy: "_You think so?_"

Device's speech: "_**Yes sir**_"

Tome of the Night Sky: "_**Collection**_"

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters although I would love to own both Hayate and Reinforce *squeals* Only the plot is rightfully mine and Reinforce is rightfully Hayate's XD

**Chapter 5 – Fright Flight **

The soft rumbling of the Excelsior's dual turbo engines indicated that it was to take off soon. Barely able to contain their excitement, the young ones raced off towards the seats of their choice and chatted excitedly. The more reserved adults, excluding an already seated Hayate, stood at the red-carpeted aisle and conversed while taking in the astonishing view of the grand interior of their private flight.

"So, have you heard?" Nanoha grinned as she interlocked her fingers with Fate's.

Shamal immediately bounced on her toes. She's the infamous gossip queen after all. "Ooh~ What what? Any juicy news?"

"Huhu~ Fate-chan and I are going to have another baby soon!"

Fate who had been distracted by Hayate's isolation, jerked her head back to face a hopeful Nanoha and exclaimed. "What!? Nanoha!! I did not agree to that!"

"Fate-chan don't love me anymore…?"

"Wait a sec! I didn't say that either! Mou Nanoha~ Vivio and Hikari are already quite a handful. I don't think either of us can manage another child"

With apparent disappointment reflected in her lavender eyes, Nanoha turned away and twirled the ends of her auburn hair. "...Translate that equals to you're already 'bored' with me right?"

It took a few seconds for the frowning Fate to catch Nanoha's drift before waving her arms frantically in the air and blushed furiously. "Nanoha!!!"

"Hehehe Yes yes Fate-chan. I know that you love me and still do" Nanoha spun around and wrapped her arms around the taller one's neck, winking seductively. "There's no harm in a little teasing after all"

Flashing a hopeless smile, Fate pulled a surprised Nanoha closer by the waist and kissed her softly on the lips, breaking away a short moment later to lovingly caress her wife's rosy pink cheeks. "A 'harmless' tease from you deserves a 'harmless' tease from me as well. That's only fair after all, right?"

Shamal beamed at the loving couple giggling away before her and clapped delightfully. She's one who enjoys seeing couples in love but suffers a pang of jealousy deep inside. Trying hard to maintain her external portray of delight, she sighed from within.

'_If only I could carry out a similar open display of affection with Signum but that ever-so-unromantic-knight is just so well… unromantic! She squirms at every single minor display of affection by any couple within her sight for heaven's sake! Dear god… I have to do something before she turns into nothing more but an emotionless robot knight…_'

Signum's cheeks flushed the moment the couple's lips came into contact and shuddered as she hugged herself protectively. She stared at the clapping-for-absolutely-no-reason-to-do-so Shamal and frowned.

'_I can never understand that woman... What's so delightful about a couple sharing a kiss? Perhaps the graze of smooth lips… the unexplainable jolts of electricity… the whispers of sweet nothings in the ears… the loving caresses… and after that, the se-_'

Feeling as though she was being watched, Shamal stopped short of her applause and turned only to see the pink-haired knight in such an awkward stance. An unmistakable look of ecstasy was written all over her flushed face, her hands were stroking her arms and her knees were grinding together as she rocked sideways slightly. With a smirk, the ivory blonde-haired one strut over to the still engrossed knight and gently cupped her face.

"Huhu~ Is that a noble knight I see who is having dirty thoughts? Shame on you tsk tsk~"

"Mmm~ Wha…?" Fixing her gaze on a smirking Shamal, Signum's entire face turned deep red with a '~_poof_~' as she gasped.

"Hehe caught you red-handed haven't I? Naughty-naughty~" Pleased with herself for taking the opportunity at Signum's most vulnerable moment, Shamal snaked her hands around the waist and leaned against the taller one's chest. She blushed as the latter's heartbeat began to race at the intimate embrace and purred. "Do you like this feeling Sir Knight? Because I do…"

Signum cursed inwardly as she bit back a moan. It had been a long time since she had ever felt such intimacy and it definitely felt good. Mustering up all her remaining strength, she gently pushed Shamal away and stuttered as she sheepishly scratched her head.

"W-What are you talking about?! I-I'm not having any obscene thoughts in my head or anything else related to that! Yessir-ree! Eh nope! I mean not at all ahahahaha~!"

"Oh really? I don't think so. What dirty thoughts are you having about those two huh? Spit it out now you pervert"

As Shamal spoke, she advanced with every heavily accented syllable and caused the knight to stumble backwards onto a velvet seat. She was completely at the mercy of the Doctor from Hell who emitted a great aura of impending doom.

"S-Shamal…! I can explain myself~! Help-"

"Come BACK here you spoilt brat!!!"

"Eeeek! Signum onee-chan help me~!"

Just at the instant where Shamal would have mercilessly pounced on a helpless Signum, two miniature beings streaked in between them and distracted the ivory-blonde haired from advancing further. Placing her hands on her hips, she snapped with a slightly annoyed tone.

"Rein? Agito? What's this commotion about? Can't you see we're in the middle of something here…?!"

Peering out from under Signum's pink locks was a distraught Rein and said, "Agito's gone bonkers"

"No I haven't!!" The fuming red head pointed an accusing finger and cried, "Signum~! She stole my cherry gum!"

Grabbing fistfuls of pink hair, Rein retorted through gritted teeth. "Because it's rightfully mine in the first place! You thief!"

"And you stole an already stolen gum so doesn't that make you more of a thief then?! You crook!!!"

With a yelp from the tiny yet awfully sharp thug of her hair, Signum sighed as she picked them both up by the collar and held them out to face each other. "Agito. Be nice. You two should learn to get along with each other…"

Tension began to rise as the two glared darkly at each other and puffs of smoke could almost be seen from their ears. Rein then spat her words out with an expression of much anger on her face. "WHAT kind of logic is that!? You make no sense at all!"

"Oh yes I do and you know it! Now give it back!"

"I'm not even planning to! Hayate~!!!"

"You spoilt brat!!! GAH!!! Let me go Signum! She's mine~!"

"Ouch!" Licking her burnt finger, Signum watched as they flew off in the direction of where Hayate was seated. Sensing an opportunity to escape her sticky situation, she laughed nervously as she hastily slipped past the momentarily distracted Shamal. "Uh… Maybe I should go with them and check up on Mistress…"

"Klarer Wind"

"_**Ya. Pendulum form**_"

Without skipping a beat, Klarer Wind extended and restrained the fleeing Knight by the wrists. Signum could only struggle futilely as she was being drawn back towards the dreaded Doctor from Hell.

"Hayate-chan is fine with those two. You're staying with me mister" Forcing her prey down onto the seat, Shamal settled down onto the seat beside and traced a finger down the whimpering one's exposed neck. "… No excuses"

"Aiyeee!! Help~!!!"

************

Resting her warm cheek against the window, Hayate sighed as the plane positioned itself on the runway and powered up for take off. She was well aware that her friends are very much excited just as she is but she has more things to worry about now. As her breath fogged up the glass, she lazily wrote out the haunting one's name with a finger and frowned.

'_I still don't get it… You're there but at the same time you're not… Are you trying to tell me something…? Is this all merely a dream or is it real…? Why…? Reinforce… Please answer me-_'

"Hayate~!"

"Nggh!" Hastily wiping away any traces of evidence, Hayate turned towards the origin of the voice only to be caught off guard by a weeping Rein. The tiny one went straight to the brunette's chest and buried herself in sorrows. Agito, who was in hot pursuit, skidded to a halt before the confused Mistress and pouted as she folded her arms at her chest.

"Ah…" Still in quite a state of shock, Hayate lightly embraced the tiny one and stroked her hair as she cooed. "There there Rein… Don't cry. Sssh~ What happened?"

Rein sat up and choked on her sobs as she spoke softly. "Agito wants my cherry gum…"

Hayate's eye twitched as she gaped at the miniature form of the once mighty mature Tome of the Night Sky, now sobbing on her chest all because of a dispute over a bubble gum.

'_That is sooooo NOT the answer I'm looking for Reinforce… Thanks a lot…._'

Hayate gently handed her own cherry gum to a now quiet Rein and smiled as she shook her head. "You're a big girl now so you shouldn't cry over a small matter like this. This is for you but I'm sure you can't finish it by yourself right? Share it with Agito okay?"

"R-Really?!" The two chirped excitedly in unison and held the wrapped gum together, dispute completely forgotten. "Yay! Thank you Hayate-chan~!"

"Haha yes you're welcome. Hm~ maybe you two can repay me by accompanying me throughout this flight? The empty seat beside me is getting cold…"

Plopping down onto the velvet seat, they nodded in unison. "Sure thing! We're here for you!"

Hayate raised an eyebrow as she helped them fasten the seatbelt. "… Or for the gum eh?"

"Eheh… That too~" Laughing nervously, they sheepishly scratched their cheeks with apologetic looks on their faces. Hayate couldn't help but join in the laughter and ruffle their hairs proudly. As she settled down in her seat, a pleasant female's voice boomed over the speakers.

'_~The Excelsior will now commence it's take off. Please remain seated and fasten your seatbelts. Your safety is our top priority and your cooperation is very much appreciated. Thank you~_"

Once the announcement was over, soothing music replaced it as the plane took off the runway smoothly. Hayate's smile faded as she shifted her gaze from the diminishing sight of Mid-Childa outside to her tiny companion that was busy chewing away on some gum along with a rowdy girl of her same size.

'_As I've said earlier, she's grown up now… Maybe it's time I tell her of her past self… I-It's too painful to even think about it… But I can say it in an indirect manner. Yeah that's what I'll do. She'll find out sooner or later anyway_'

"Hm? Is there something on my face Hayate-chan?"

"Eh no no… It's nothing" Hayate's cheeks flushed as she avoided eye contact and murmured, "I was just thinking if you'll like to hear a story"

"Yay! I love your stories Hayate-chan! Please do tell~"

"Alright, if you insist but there's no title for this particular one"

"How come? All stories must have a title!"

"Yes but this is different. It's a life story that has no true ending…"

"It's okay. I'm all ears Hayate-chan"

"Thanks Rein" Taking in a deep breath, Hayate exhaled slowly and spoke softly. "There once lived a beautiful woman… no, a girl who was gifted with extraordinary powers. She had a pure soul but men with selfish desires sought her power and brought misery to everyone… She was very hurt"

"Why was she sad? And why was there misery?"

"Ah~ you see… Her immense power was abused by those men to bring destruction. Many had condemned her with awful names and never once referred to her true name. All throughout her existence, countless times she was used to cause senseless misery and death..."

Hayate paused and turned her attention outside the window only to see pure white. They were in the fluffy calm clouds but ironically, it did not relieve the ache in her heart the least bit. Taking in another deep breath, she continued hesitantly.

"… Since then, she sealed away her heart and emotions completely. She accepted being condemned as the cursed one and was tied heavily down to her purpose of existence as a harbinger of total annihilation. But although she had been deemed as pure evil, she still tries her best to grant her Master/Mistress's wish and last bit of happiness before she loses consciousness…"

"Loses consciousness…?"

"Yes. This girl had two sides of herself. One was still her pure-hearted self that exists from within while the other was her external destructive self that was also known as Automated Defence Form. Once her A.D.F goes berserk and she no longer has control, it's the end of everything… Some had resorted to desperate measures like using highly dangerous cannons and such to get rid of her. But no matter how many times she was destroyed, her systems would reincarnate her further into the future and find a new Master/Mistress…"

Hayate resisted the great urge to burst into tears as painful past memories flooded her mind. Tracing the glass where she had previously written the name with a finger, she chewed her lip.

"She never had the chance to live her life the way she wanted it to be… She never once intended of causing mass killings with her bare hands but she was programmed to do so… Genuine tears continuously streamed down her cheeks as she destroyed everything against her will… She gave up on living and succumbed to being reduced as just a mere tool although she very much knew she was alive and breathing…"

Pushing aside the cherry gum, Rein asked worriedly. "What happened to her?! Did she ever found happiness…?"

"Well I'm getting to that" Staring blankly ahead, Hayate sighed. "After she had lived for as long as she could remember, she was finally saved by a certain Mistress who suffered a similar fate. She was then blessed with a new name and her A.D.F had been permanently defeated which meant she could not reincarnate and cause more deaths ever again. But there was a problem… Her systems could regenerate and form an even more lethal A.D.F that would obliterate anything in its path. So, she made a decision. A selfless decision to sacrifice her own life that snowy night…"

"… Mmm… That's just so sad… Why…?" replied the tiny one at once albeit slurry.

"Because… Huh?" Hayate's stopped short the instant she fixed her gaze on a sleeping duo beside her. Gently running her fingers through Rein's flowing silver hair, she smiled hopelessly.

'…_Because she loved me deeply and wanted to protect me at all cost… Even at the expense of her life... All for my sake… And she was the past you, Rein… force…_'

The soothing music overhead had begun to have an effect on Hayate. As she struggled to keep her heavy-lidded eyes open, she realized that the others were already peacefully asleep on each other's shoulders.

"Mmm… I'm getting sleepy too… A little nap won't hurt…"

Hayate yawned as she leaned back against the soft backrest of the seat and drifted off to sleep soon after.

****************

"Nggh… S-Sick… T-Toilet…!"

Forcing her eyes open, Hayate lurched forward suddenly as she covered her mouth with one hand and the other blindly unfastening the seatbelt. Once she was free, she ran down the aisle and straight into the high-class toilet. Leaning over the grand sink, she mentally prepared herself for an outburst of vomit but all that came out was… nothing?

'_W-Wha…? I was so sure I needed to puke out the contents of my stomach but…!_'

'~_Attention please. We are now approaching the Northern Star Belt and will proceed to commence the Dimension Leap to Liebe Island in a countdown of 3. A gentle reminder to remain seated and fasten your seatbelts. Commencing in 3, 2-_ ~'

Hayate yelped as the entire plane jerked violently and threw her off balance to fall head-first onto the marble sink. Sirens blared and red lights flickered continuously as the female's voice boomed from the speakers.

'~_An unknown error has occurred in the attempt to Dimension Leap. Requires manual reset of settings to commence once again. Systems now operating in idle mode_~'

Firmly gripping the sink by its sides, Hayate straightened herself up with a groan as she rubbed her sore forehead. Alarmed by the sudden turn of events, she glanced around in panic albeit dizzy.

"What's going on!? This isn't supposed to happ-"

Hayate froze as she set eyes onto the mirror. As her vision sharpened, the reflected image of the ghostly being at the doorway was unmistakable. Still in disbelief, she reached out a trembling hand and so did the latter. Just as her fingertips grazed the flawless surface of the mirror, its ice-cold hand gripped her shoulder and forcefully wheeled her around. Wide-eyed, Hayate gasped as the towering being's crimson gaze fixed intently onto hers.

"Y-You…! H-How!? W-Why?!"

A smirk formed on its ghostly lips as it materialized a dull-colored spear in its free hand and brandished it in the confused brunette's face.

"**Bring forth spears and infuse them…**" the being slid her hand up from Hayate's shoulder to her left cheek and grinned. "**… with YOUR blood!**"

Hayate's screams were drowned in the blaring sirens. She could only watch in horror as the being raised the spear and thrust it towards her exposed neck. Seconds before the blade's tip made the fatal contact, her device became intensely hot and seared her delicate skin. Doubling over from the wave of excruciating pain, Hayate collapsed on all fours onto the tiled floor and looked up at the being before her as she gasped for air.

The being remained frozen in its stance as its fringe hid its crimson orbs from view. Its hand that gripped the spear had shattered the flawless mirror entirely; the fatal blow that was meant for the brunette's neck had missed its target by mere inches and at the last second.

Hayate shook violently in fear and crawled feebly towards the doorway as fast as she could. Once outside, she mustered all her remaining strength and ran for dear life down the carpeted aisle towards the passengers' seats. To her utmost dismay, her family and friends were nowhere to be seen. The velvet seats were crisp and untouched, not disturbed even in the slightest bit.

'~_tmp tmp tmp_~' *footsteps*

Stepping out from the shadows of the carpeted aisle was the ghostly being in its Automated Defence Form. A twisted smile was clearly formed on its lips as it winked and flexed its hands, the fatal blade still within its grasp. With each step forward that it took, the lights shattered and plunged them into darkness.

Cold sweat trickled down Hayate's spine as she blindly groped the air ahead. The occasional flicker of red lights and blaring sirens only worsened the already critical situation. Stumbling backwards on seats and fragments of glass, she tried hard to escape from a fast approaching ghostly being of her past with the intent to kill as she fought her tears.

"Damn she's going to kill me! I've got to hide somewher-"

"**You cannot escape me. Flap your wings Sleipnir**"

Positioning its arms in an overlapping cross before its chest, it swiftly brought them down to the sides and locked its gaze on its target. At its command, the 3 pairs of jet-black wings on its back enlarged and flapped once, creating an icy gust of wind that stung Hayate's skin upon contact. Midnight feathers were strewn along in the gust and floated blissfully all around the stunned brunette.

"No way… Please no…" Hayate's voice trailed off as she backed against the wall in horror.

In the blink of an eye, the being neared the gap with ease and grabbed the meager brunette by the neck. The sudden burst of speed send them bursting through the metallic door of the cockpit and it slammed the victim hard against the controls, knocking the wind out of her. Hayate weakly clawed the latter's strong grip on her neck as she gasped for air. However, it only tightened its grip further and held its head high in triumph with a smirk.

Raising the fatal blade high in the air once again, the crazed being cried "**…** **Bloody Dagger!**" and wasted no time in thrusting it repeatedly down on Hayate's chest whilst in the midst of a shrill laughter.

Fresh blood violently splattered all over the controls and walls, tainting everything in striking red. Bathed in her own blood, Hayate arched her back with each blow and released a silent scream as she writhed in indescribable pain. Her sight was blinded by the warning red lights, her hearing deafened by the sirens and unrecognizable laughter and her device burned up once again, searing into her bare flesh, adding into the pain.

'_No… I can't allow it to end like this… Even if I were to die… at least I want my friends to reach the destination safely… F-For their sake…_'

Drifting in and out of consciousness, Hayate shifted her blurred gaze over to the left where the bloodstained main control panel was located and painfully reach out a badly cut arm to the blinking button. With the last of her faltering strength, she gave it a final push and her arm fell back limply on her side as she sighed inwardly at the return of the female voice.

'~_Manual reset confirmed. Systems back online and readjusting coordinates of the Dimension Leap to the nearest available location_~'

Instantly, the being halted its gruesome attack and tossed aside the bloody dagger. With one hand further tightening its grip on Hayate's neck and the other caressing her blood-soaked hair, it gently claimed her dry lips in its warm ones. Wide-eyed, Hayate felt a strong unexplainable jolt of electricity coursing through her veins despite the pain. The being's sweet smell was intoxicating and its luscious lips tasted extraordinary.

'~_Detect presence of similar coordinates structure as the first destination. Locked on. Commencing Dimension Leap in 3…_~'

Breaking away from the kiss, the being smiled seductively as her crimson gaze burned into bleary sapphire ones. Unaware that blood had streamed out from the corners of her mouth, Hayate mouthed her words as her entire body slowly became numb and her vision began to cloud.

"W-Why…? R-Reinforce…"

"~_… 2_~"

Licking the trail of blood from the mouth of a moaning Hayate, Reinforce nipped the brunette's ear and whispered sensuously into it.

"**Hayate…**"

"~_… 1_~"

Reinforce gently ran her hand down a barely breathing Hayate's eyes to close them and softly caressed her bloodstained lips with a slender finger. At the last instant when the Leap occurred, she held the highly-intoxicated one by the sides of her head and cleanly snapped it without much effort. Then, everything went blank.

***************

"HAYATE!!!"

Flickering open her sapphire eyes slightly, Hayate groaned as she sat up in her seat. Every part of her body particularly her cheek, ached as though she had been tossed in a washing machine. Once again, the female voice boomed from the speakers overhead.

'~_Successful touchdown at the said destination. Thank you for travelling in Excelsior Airways and have a nice day_~'

'_Touchdown…? We're here? Wait… I'm still here? Or am I dead?_'

Rubbing her sore cheek, her worn-out mind began to slowly register the worried looks of her companions surrounding her seat. "Mmm… Huh? Where am I? What's with that look guys? And why does my cheek hurt?"

"Ha! See? I told you it would work!" A grinning Arf, who was peeking out from behind Hayate's seat, held her head high in apparent triumph and remarked with a frown. "You too-smart-for-your-own-good adults should totally learn to stick to the traditional way of instantly solving a problem with a simple tight slap instead of arguing which appropriate magic spell to use or yada-yada-yada, aimless stuffs like that. Thank me for ingenuity heh"

Jerking her head to meet the latter straight in the eye with her watery azure ones, Rein snarled. "One more word from you and I swear you'll be the display rug in the living room for harming Hayate"

"Sheesh fine. Ungrateful much?" Hopping out onto the aisle beside a shrugging Zafira, the orange haired one rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Come on Zaf. We've got some serious fun to catch up to"

Signum sighed as she watched the hard-headed teen marched towards the exit and dragged an indifferent Zafira along by the hand. Turning her attention back to the source of her worry, she asked softly.

"Mistress Hayate? Are you okay? You look pale"

"Ah…" Hayate winced slightly as she tried hard to lift her head from the velvet backrest but to no avail and merely slumped back against it. "… Not considering this major headache and aching neck and etcetera, I guess I'm fine. What happened exactly?"

"You slept in an awkward position of your head against the window which explains your aching neck and possibly the headache. A logical reason for that could be that the awkward position restricts the pulmonary circulation to sufficiently provide enough oxygen to the brain…"

The awkward silence returned as everyone gaped at the experienced Chief Doctor, clearly not having a clue of what she had scientifically explained once again. Clearing her throat out of dignity, Shamal stood to her full height and muttered under her breath.

"Uh… Anyway, I'll unload the luggage now. Excuse me…" and she scoot away with a doubtful Signum in tow.

Fate, who was standing the closest to Hayate's seat, shook her head with a chuckle. "Well simply said, you slept so peacefully despite that and wouldn't wake up even after we've long touched down. We tried every method in the book to wake you up but none succeeded until Arf's slap. Gosh Hayate… Are you really that tired? You definitely need this vacation"

"You sure can say that again…" Fate raised a questioning eyebrow in which Hayate waved it off as she finally managed to get off the seat. "… But I'm fine really. Just an unwanted nightmare that's all. Come on, we're done here. Let's get some fresh air outside"

"Well if you insist. Can you manage?"

Hayate flashed a hopeless smile and nodded her head briskly in response. As she watched Fate and her wife usher Vivio and Vita towards the exit with their respective luggages, she sighed and gripped the seat's headrest to stabilize herself.

The blaring sirens, blinding red lights and the indescribable pain of being attacked could still be felt even after she had woken up from the supposedly mere nightmare. A flurry of blurred images of her ordeal flashed across her mind instantly and a particularly clear image of the ghostly being sent a chill down her spine.

"Hayate…"

Hayate shifted her gaze to the owner of the meek voice nearby and winced. Sapphire met azure and immediately she felt her energy drain away just by eye contact. She wobbled slightly as she buried her hand within her coat to clutch the burning up device and forced a smile.

"Nggh… Yes Rein I'm perfectly fine. Run along with Agito now. I'm right behind you"

Rein lowered her eyes to the floor and allowed herself to be dragged by an excited red head to the exit. A wave of fresh guilt washed all over Hayate as she replayed the image of her tiny companion's sad expression on her delicate face in her head.

'_Rein…_'

Realizing that her device had cooled down, Hayate now felt a soft yet fragile-like object under her grip. Confused, she took her hand out of her coat and held it out infront of her.

"This is…" She slowly opened up her fist and revealed a lithe midnight feather that glistened in the light. "…Your feather…"

'_Reinforce…_'

-Tbc-

AFW: Phew~! This one definitely exhausted me! I love this chapter the most so far coz I've (finally) added in much awaited contact between the characters *grins* Let's have a closer analysis shall we?

**NanoFate**: My fanfic is after all not based entirely on them so I'm sorry if their relationship isn't spicy enough but they do deserve little moments of love here and there too (I'm not so mean you know *chuckle*)

**Sigmal**: Ah~ here's something you don't see everyday. I'm really frustrated that there's not much scenes showing their love for each other so I'm dedicating this fanfic for their sake too. It's pretty interesting to witness a strong-willed Knight shiver in the presence from the (ironically) Doctor from Hell. We shall see how (extreme) their relationship will progress further in the story XD

**Arf Zaf**: Frankly speaking, I absolutely love their awesomeness and all but there's nothing much to be said about their relationship. Just take two apparently powerhouse guardians of the different gender and get them together, what will you get? Pure mayhem yet its still warm and fuzzy *winks*

**Rein Agito**: Nothing much to elaborate here. Pure friendship/sisterly love. Or is it…?

**Vita Vivio**: Shocking? No no don't get it all wrong. Another sisterly love type. Maybe. Who knows? *grins*

**Hayate Rein force **: Notice that i typed it as Rein force? That's to signify that I'm referring to both Rein and Reinforce so don't get confused. Clearly the relationship of Hayate and Rein is unbreakable BUT something's missing no? Hayate is being haunted by Reinforce of the past and the line between dreams and reality is blurred. Things are getting complex so read on to find the answer or what I would say, the truth.

On a final note, please review~ Stay tuned! XD


	6. Attention Please!

**Author's confession:**

My deepest apologies for being MIA all this while. I've especially dedicated this, well let's say "Special Chapter" (more like a reason to explain myself .) to my eager readers who had long anticipated the next chapter to be uploaded.

Oh man I don't even know where to start .

First, I'll like to apologize again for my incompetency to have delayed for so long and kept you readers waiting. It's my failure as an author to have not posted this notice up sooner and inform you guys of a few changes that have taken place which affected my ability to produce the next chapter efficiently. I seek your forgiveness Heart-san and all my treasured readers!

Frankly speaking, as a student that's about to enter higher education, my life has been busy in preparation for school and also taken up by my (exhausting) part-time job. I've also been side-tracked by tempting urges to create yuri/Shoujo-ai fanfics for Strawberry Panic (Shizuma x Amane. Heh you don't see this often do you?) and Kannazuki no Miko (Chikane x Himeko)

In fact, I'm currently in the midst of drawing Shizuma x Amane (previously drew Shizuma x Nagisa) and these are a few of my projects that definitely took my time up from producing next chapter of Snow Rain. OMG. I have momentarily indeed betrayed Hayate x Reinforce!!!! *slaps self*

I know. I know. Bad excuses to have kept you guys waiting right? *sigh* But apart from that, I have done extensive research to improve my writing to fit the satisfaction of you guys. I have read through my story right from the beginning and personally, I find my use of words unsatisfying. Hopefully, this break I took will improve my standard of writing and create a better visionary picture of this dedication of Hayate to Reinforce I'm to portray through words.

Last but not least (of this rant of mine XP), expect the next chapter to be up within the next week or so. Please hold on a little longer and I do hope you'll understand my situation. A very big **THANK YOU** for my loyal readers who had been patient all this while. I definitely appreciate your patience and for eagerly awaiting the next chapter.

**With lots of love to all my readers 33333333**

SILVER :D


	7. The end?

**…What is this?**

_... I swear i hate paragraphing words problem this site always had and **still do**. Stop taking off my paragraph spacings and smashing everything together!_

* * *

Howdy guys,

It's been 3 years I believe since I last updated this story. And I only have 1 word to describe it.

.

**Procrastination!**

**.  
**

Not that I'm proud of it either. Actually this update is to confirm a few things first. I've picked up this forgotten project again and I have to admit, I couldn't even bear to read chapter 1 all the way to the end.

.

I had that habit of 2k words per chapter…. Which is rather long and dry I realized.

.

So, are you guys still interested in this story?

If you are, I would put my all to rewrite the whole story, condensing the chapters in a short and simple yet straightforward manner.

.

I'll need clarification though.

* Serious tone or more comedy?

* More dialogues and interaction between characters?

* Less description?

* More action like chapter 5? (My personal favourite I dare say)

* More Reinforce appearances?

* More NanoFate? (Lol inclusive of Vivio of course)

.

Erm... I already admitted I'm no professional writer so if this is rather amateur, I apologize in advance.

I guess I write as a side hobby kind of thing and at the spur of the moment.

The main motivation is that I would love to share a common interest between my story and readers.

.

**If I don't receive a reply within the next week however, I will drop this whole project and archive.**

**.  
**

I will then take this opportunity to thank patient readers who have been with me up until then and even now. It had been a fun time guys.

Hopefully I'll be back to write in more stories in the future.

.

Cheers!

-Silver-


End file.
